Bhubaneswar: In a major step towards improving international travel access for residents of Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday inaugurated a new Visa Application Centre operated by VFS Global in Bhubaneswar.
The facility marks a significant milestone in enhancing citizen-centric services and reflects the state’s growing global engagement. Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister said the centre will ease the process of obtaining visas and promote tourism, industry, and international collaboration.
Highlighting the long-standing demand for such a facility, Majhi noted that the state government had urged the Centre to establish a visa application centre in Bhubaneswar. He expressed gratitude for the support extended by the Union Government under the leadership of Narendra Modi in making the initiative a reality.
The newly launched centre, located within the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Bus Terminal at Barmunda, has been set up in a 3,000 sq. ft. space provided by the state government. It is expected to significantly benefit applicants from Odisha, who earlier had to travel to Kolkata for visa processing.
In its initial phase, the centre will offer visa services for ten countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Estonia, Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Japan, Morocco, and Egypt. The Chief Minister added that more countries are likely to be included in the coming phases, expanding access further.
The facility is designed to provide a seamless and efficient application experience. VFS Global currently manages visa services for 53 countries in India through a network of over 560 centres across 20 cities.
Founded by Zubin Karkaria, the organisation has grown into the world’s largest visa outsourcing and consular services provider, serving 70 governments across 167 countries. Globally, it operates more than 4,000 application centres and has processed over 537 million applications since 2001.
Officials from the embassies of Austria, Italy, and Switzerland were present at the inauguration, along with Saroj Pradhan, Government Chief Whip; Hemant Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department; Saswat Mishra, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister; and Yummi Talwar.
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