In an order, dated October 9, 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has debarred BLS International Services Ltd. from participating in new tenders for Indian Missions in India and abroad for a two-year period.

The multinational company, which handles visa and passport outsourcing for several governments, has allegedly been subject to complaints from applicants, besides facing pending court cases against it. BLS has responded to the order, saying it will ‘address it in due course as per the law’.

Headquartered in Delhi, the company will function with its existing contracts in 19 countries, including 12 in the UAE. The MEA’s order only restricts the participation of BLS in new tenders issued by Indian Missions in India and abroad.

However, BLS has said that its operations will continue to expand across international markets, and that the order will not impact its performance significantly this financial year.

Currently, BLS processes more than 1.7 million applications in a year. – editor@nrifocus.com