India Rolls Out High-Tech E-Passports in 13 Cities to Enhance Security and Identification

India has officially kicked off the first phase of its cutting-edge e-passport initiative in 13 cities, with the goal of enhancing identity verification and bolstering the security of travel documents. This new passport design merges traditional features with state-of-the-art electronic technology, providing improved protection against forgery and data tampering.

As stated by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), this project is part of the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0, which began its pilot phase in April 2024. This is just the first step in a larger plan to roll out e-passports at all Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) across the country by mid-2025.

Currently, e-passports are being issued in cities like Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Goa, Shimla, Raipur, Amritsar, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat, Ranchi, and Delhi. In Tamil Nadu, the Chennai Regional Passport Office started issuing e-passports on March 3, 2025, and by March 22, 2025, they had already distributed 20,729 of them.

Visually, these e-passports stand out from traditional ones, featuring a gold-colored symbol beneath the front cover. Inside, they come equipped with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip and antenna embedded in the inlay. A crucial security feature is the integration of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which ensures that the biometric and personal data stored on the chip is accurate, authentic, and safeguarded against manipulation.

The MEA highlighted that the primary benefit of e-passports lies in their advanced data security, which significantly lowers the risk of forgery, cloning, and unauthorized access. This technology is anticipated to enhance international border security and simplify identity verification during global travel.

While the rollout of e-passports represents a major leap forward in document digitization and security, the MEA made it clear that switching to the new format is optional. Existing passports will continue to be valid until their expiration date.