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BLS International

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BLS International Limited
Company typePublic
IndustryServices
HeadquartersNew Delhi, India
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Nikhil Gupta (Managing Director)
  • Shikhar Aggarwal (Joint Managing Director)
  • Amit Sudhakar (Chief Financial Officer)
RevenueIncrease ₹1,676.8 crore (US$200 million) (2024)[1]
Total equityIncrease ₹1,207.6 crore (US$140 million) (2024)[2]
Number of employees
60,000 (2024)[3]
Websitewww.blsinternational.com

BLS International is a New Delhi-based company that provide visa, passport, consular, and citizen services. The company was founded in 2005 and operates in over 66 countries across five continents.

History

2005-2010

The company was established in 2005 in New Delhi, India,[4] and began its operations by securing a contract with the Portuguese Embassy in Delhi to handle visa processing. Over the subsequent years, from 2006 to 2010, the company expanded its services to include visa processing for European embassies, such as those of Austria, Belgium, Greece, and Tunisia. By 2008, BLS International had extended its operations internationally, providing services for the Indian Embassy in countries including Spain, Kuwait, Sudan, and Russia.[5][6]

2011-2015

In 2011, BLS International opened Visa Application Centers (VACs) for the Indian Embassy in the UAE and other Indian missions in Southeast Asia.[7] The company continued to expand in 2012 by initiating visa processing services for Indian embassies in Saudi Arabia and Singapore.[8] Between 2014 and 2015, BLS International extended its services to seven additional Indian missions abroad, including in the United States and Canada.

2016

In 2016, BLS International was awarded a contract by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MAEC) for global visa outsourcing, valued at €175 million.[9] Additionally, the company was contracted by the Government of Punjab, India to manage 2,147 Seva Kendras as part of an e-governance project.[10]

2017

In 2017, BLS International broadened its service offerings by providing consular services to Afghan nationals in several Gulf countries, marking an expansion beyond its traditional focus on visa processing for Indian nationals.[11][12][13][14]

2018-2024

Starting in 2018, BLS International introduced several value added services, such as travel insurance, mobile biometrics, and courier services. In 2019, the company expanded its operations into the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, China, and Japan.[15] By 2021, BLS International had integrated advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance biometric enrolment and document verification processes.[16] The company also expanded its e-governance solutions to support digital transformation initiatives. From 2022 to 2024, BLS International further extended its operations into Africa and Latin America.[17]

In August 2024, the company was awarded a contract for global visa outsourcing by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.[18] Previously, in May 2023, the company secured a renewal of its contract with Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MAEC) for the second consecutive term.[19]

During this period, the company also expanded its operations with several regional contracts. In November 2022, the company began providing services for the Embassies of Germany in the United States of America and Mexico.[20] In July 2023, it secured contracts with the Embassies of Italy in Kazakhstan, Senegal, Cameroon, Abu Dhabi, Pakistan, and Mali.[21] This was followed by contracts in February 2024 for the Embassies of Hungary in Algeria, Bangladesh, Canada, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, and Uzbekistan.[22] In March 2024, the company added the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Botswana to its portfolio.[23][24] In July 2024, the company began providing services for the Embassy of Poland in the Philippines.[25] The company began providing services for the Embassy of Portugal in Morocco in May 2024.[26]

Listing

The company's equity shares are listed on the National Stock Exchange of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange and Metropolitan Stock Exchange.[27]

Acquisitions

Starfin India Pvt. Ltd.

In August 2018, BLS International acquired Starfin India Pvt. Ltd., a company offering financial inclusion services with undisclosed acquisition terms.[28]

Zero Mass Pvt. Ltd.

The company in June 2022 acquired Zero Mass Pvt. Ltd., a provider of microfinance and savings support services, for $15.4 million.[29]

iDATA

In January 2024, BLS International acquired iDATA for about ₹720 crore (€88 million) to further strengthen its global presence in Visa and Consular services to operate about 35+ Visa Application Centres in 15 countries for the Governments of Germany, Italy and Czech Republic.[30]

Citizenship Invest

In October 2024, BLS International Services Ltd. announced the acquisition of a 100% stake in Citizenship Invest (CI), a Dubai-based firm specializing in fast-track investor programs for residency and citizenship across more than 15 countries. The total purchase consideration for the acquisition was approx. $31 million, which was fully funded through the company's internal accruals.[31][32][33]

Awards

India’s Most Trusted Visa Outsourcing Services Company

BLS International was recognized as 'India’s Most Trusted Visa Outsourcing Services Company' at the India’s Most Trusted Companies Award 2019. This recognition was based on research conducted by the International Brand Consulting Corporation, USA.[34]

Best Operational Process in Visa Outsourcing

In 2019, the company received the award for “Best Operational Process in Visa Outsourcing” at the World Quality Congress & Awards, held in Mumbai on July 4, 2019.

Best Visa Facilitation Centres Award

In 2018, BLS International was awarded the ‘Best Visa Facilitation Centres Award’ at the Middle East Travel and Tourism Leadership Awards in Dubai. The same year, the company received the “Excellence in the Travel Sector” award at CMO Asia’s Best Practices Awards in Singapore.[35]

India's Best Visa Outsourcing Services Company

In 2017, BLS International was recognized as "India's Best Visa Outsourcing Services Company" at the India's Best Company of the Year Awards, presented in Mumbai[36]

References

  1. ^ "BLS International Services Profit & Loss Annual". www.livemint.com.
  2. ^ "BLS International Services Ltd". www.valueresearchonline.com.
  3. ^ "BLS International". Employees: 60,000
  4. ^ "BLS International soars over 21% on NSE; plans BSE listing". The Economic Times. 19 June 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  5. ^ "BLS International: Visa applications near pre-pandemic levels, China and Russia lag - CNBC TV18". CNBCTV18. 1 December 2023.
  6. ^ "BLS International rises on bagging contract for Italy visa processing services". Business Standard.
  7. ^ "New company in UAE begins Indian visa services". gulfnews.com. 29 March 2011.
  8. ^ "New outsourcing contract for Indian consular services". Arab News. 7 August 2012.
  9. ^ "BLS International wins €175 million contract". @businessline. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  10. ^ "BLS International to open over 2,000 centres in Punjab". The Financial Express. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  11. ^ "BLS International wins five Gulf country contract for Islamic Republic of Afghanistan". amedia.co.in. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Indian company will provide citizen services in Afghanistan - The Sunday Guardian Live". The Sunday Guardian Live. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  13. ^ "BLS International inks pact with embassy of Afghanistan". India Today. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  14. ^ "BLS Intl bags USD 5 mn order from Afghan Embassy". India Today. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  15. ^ "Expect a surge in inbound arrivals in a couple of months: BLS - ET TravelWorld". ETTravelWorld.com. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  16. ^ "BLS International launches AI-powered HRMS system People Hub". Techcircle. 1 July 2024.
  17. ^ "BLS International bags visa outsourcing contract with Spain for another term - ET TravelWorld". ETTravelWorld.com.
  18. ^ "The Embassy allocates appointments through the BLS visa agency". foreign.gov.sk. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  19. ^ "BLS International signs visa outsourcing contract with Spanish govt for another term - ET LegalWorld". ETLegalWorld.com. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  20. ^ "BLS International rolls out Germany visa application centres in the US, Mexico City - ET TravelWorld". ETTravelWorld.com. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  21. ^ "BLS Intl. signs a visa outsourcing contract with Embassy of Italy in Kazakhstan - ET TravelWorld". ETTravelWorld.com. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  22. ^ "BLS Gets Contracts From Hungary For Visa Outsourcing Services In 3 Countries". NDTV Profit. 29 February 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  23. ^ "BLS International signs contract with Embassy of Czech Republic". BW Hotelier. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  24. ^ Ganesh, TBM Staff-Mumbai, Nishtha (28 March 2024). "BLS International partners with Czech Republic Embassy for Botswana". India's Top Travel News Source: TravelBiz Monitor. Retrieved 27 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ "BLS International joins hands with Poland embassy for visa outsourcing services in Philippines". The Economic Times. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  26. ^ "BLS International Signs Contract with the Embassy of Portugal for Visa Outsourcing Services in Morocco". ThePrint. 9 May 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  27. ^ indiainfoline.com. "Listing of Equity Shares of BLS International Services Limited". Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  28. ^ "BLS International acquires Starfin India Pvt. Ltd". Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  29. ^ "BLS International acquires Zero Mass Private Ltd". Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  30. ^ "BLS International arm acquires 100% stake in Turkish company; shares up nearly 5%". Money Control. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  31. ^ "BLS International completes acquisition of Dubai-based Citizenship Invest". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  32. ^ "BLS International to acquire 100% stake in Citizenship Invest for Rs 260 crore". Business Standard. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  33. ^ "BLS International acquires Dubai-based Citizenship Invest to enhance citizenship programs". Business Standard. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  34. ^ "BLS International bags India's Most Trusted Companies Awards 2019 | Travel Trends Today". Travel Trends Today. 16 August 2019.
  35. ^ "BLS International wins the prestigious "Excellence in the Travel Sector" award". TnHGlobal. 3 August 2018.
  36. ^ "India's Best Visa Outsourcing Services Company". Retrieved 28 July 2024.
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