Tradebytes

VFS Global to launch Portugal visa centre in Delhi

Looks at online payment options, opening ME centres in India

Chetan Kapoor - Mumbai

Ajit Alexander VP (Business Development & Marketing) VFS Global Services

Four years after opening its first centre, visa outsourcing agency VFS Global Services will now open a Portugal visa application centre in Delhi in two months. Ajit Alexander, its VP (Business Development & Marketing), said, "We recently contracted the Portugal mission in India which was earlier outsourced to BLS."

The agency recently introduced online payment gateways in the United Kingdom and France and upon its success has a vision of introducing the same in the Indian market.

"Our numbers have increased by almost a million in the last year proving the acceptability of the concept in countries that did not believe in outsourcing. We also expect consolidation to take place such as having common application centres for the Schengen countries as seen in India, Dubai and Nigeria. Such moves benefit diplomatic missions with smaller numbers and even for us to acquire economies of scale resulting in a win-win situation for us and our partners, including the travel agents," he said.

Even the Indian mission has outsourced its operations to VFS Global in Thailand, China, Australia, France, Sri Lanka and the UK. He said, "We have contracted a significant amount of business and recently won the outsourcing contract in Russia. We are also in contention for bids in Spain, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, South Africa and Singapore."

Alexander also informed that the agency had its eyes set on having centres in India for the Middle East and South East Asian countries.