Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 13: India has begun issuing electronic passports (e-passports) equipped with embedded chips, marking a significant technological upgrade aimed at bolstering security and streamlining international travel.
The initiative, part of the revamped Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0, officially launched on April 1, 2024. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, this pilot rollout includes 13 cities in its first phase—Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Goa, Shimla, Raipur, Amritsar, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat, Ranchi, and Delhi.
Chennai's Regional Passport Office became the first in Tamil Nadu to issue e-passports, with the process commencing on March 3, 2025. By March 22, as many as 20,729 e-passports had already been issued across the state.
These smart passports come embedded with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip and an antenna within the cover, distinguishable by a gold-coloured symbol printed below the national emblem. The chip stores biometric and personal data, and is supported by Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to ensure encryption, data integrity, and authentication.
Officials said that the key advantages of the new e-passports include stronger protection against data tampering, enhanced identity verification, and reduced scope for fraud or counterfeiting.
While e-passports represent the future of Indian travel documentation, the Ministry clarified that existing passports will remain valid until their expiry and there is no immediate requirement for holders to switch to the chip-based version.
The nationwide rollout to all Passport Seva Kendras is expected to be completed by mid-2025.