The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), on Friday, announced that the country’s largest IT firm-- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been selected again for the implementation of the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme, a Mission Mode Project that focuses on delivering passport related services to the citizens in India and Indian Diaspora living outside the country. 

TCS had inked a Rs 1,000 crore deal in 2008 with the ministry of external affairs for executing the first phase of the Passport Seva Programme (V1.0). The company did not reveal the financial specifics of the transaction this time, but the contract is believed to be around Rs 2,000 crore, according to an industry analyst, as per the report by Moneycontrol. 

In the first phase, TCS transformed the delivery of passport-related services by automating procedures and setting global benchmarks in timeliness, transparency, and trustability. TCS also runs other critical e-governance projects, including Passport Seva Kendra, India Post and IRCTC.

In the succeeding phase of the programme, TCS will revive existing facilities and systems, and bring innovative solutions to enable the issuance of e-passports and further improve the citizen experience, by employing technologies such as biometrics, artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics, chatbots, auto-response, natural language processing, and the cloud, according to a statement.

“The world-class experience delivered at the TCS-run Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) across the country made the service immensely popular and a source of national pride. Accessibility was further enhanced by extending the service through designated post offices and Indian missions and posts across the world,” the statement said.

Currently, there are 93 Passport Seva Kendra's (PSK), 428 post office PSK and 36 passport offices in the country. 

Tej Bhatla, Business Unit Head, Public Sector, TCS said in a statement, “Our partnership with MEA over the last decade has become a benchmark in a public-private partnership for citizen services. We are pleased to be selected for the next phase of the Passport Seva Program and look forward to driving further innovations and improving citizen experiences, using our contextual knowledge and digital technologies,” Bhatla added.

In a separate announcement, TCS informed that its Board of Directors (BoDs) will discuss the buyback proposal when they meet on 12 January.

"Pursuant to Regulation 29(1 )(b) of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, this is to inform you that the Board of Directors will consider a proposal for buyback of equity shares of the Company, at its meeting to be held on January 12, 2022," in a regulatory filing on January 7, 2022.

The IT major’s financial report card for the third quarter ending December 31, 2021, is also scheduled to be released on January 12, 2022.