The Government of India has completed the long-planned digitisation of the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) programme. As of 8 July—but reported in the 18 July India Today bulletin—all new OCI approvals are issued exclusively in electronic form, viewable on mobile devices via a secure QR code. Physical cards will no longer be printed or dispatched. Existing OCI holders can download their e-OCI free of charge by logging in to ociservices.gov.in; the printable PDF is globally accepted by airlines and Indian immigration in lieu of the old blue booklet. Cardholders may continue to carry the booklet until it expires, but officials recommend moving to the e-OCI to avoid damage-or-loss scenarios. For global mobility managers, the change eliminates courier costs and weeks-long waits for hard-copy delivery, making OCI a more attractive option for senior expatriates posted to India for merger integration or R&D leadership roles. Digital verification is also expected to facilitate smoother domestic air-travel KYC checks. Indian missions abroad are upgrading appointment systems to capture biometrics once, with subsequent renewals handled completely online—echoing Australia’s ImmiAccount model. The Ministry of Home Affairs projects ₹ 65 crore in annual savings from printing and logistics alone. Travel-tech firms are already integrating OCI QR validation into boarding-gate systems, promising shorter queues for millions in the Indian diaspora.
Source: India Today
