Prime Minister Narendra Modi said overseas Indians that his Government is making efforts to ease the processes concerning their social security, passport, visa and PIO and OCI cards and that work is on to issue chip-based e-passports. Inaugurating the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), the Indian diaspora conclave, he said that the Government’s endeavor was that overseas Indians should stay “happy and safe wherever they are.”

“The Government is trying to ease the entire processes concerning your social security, passport, visa, Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cards. We have taken a new step a few months back concerning overseas Indians. Our embassies and consulates are being connected to the Passport Seva Project worldwide,” he said.

This, he said, will prepare a centralized system connected to the passport service for all of them. “Going one step ahead, work is on for issuing of the chip-based e-passport.” The Prime Minister said that along with passport, the rules related to visa were being simplified. “With the convenience of e-visa, you are also saving time and problems are also getting reduced. Many of you will also be familiar with the fact that our government has made the process of converting PIO (Person of Indian Origin) cards into OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cards.”