Bhubaneswar: Inaugurating a new Visa Application Centre at the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Bus Terminal in Bhubaneswar, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today said the facility will strengthen the state’s global connectivity framework. 

Majhi added the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to delivering citizen-centric services.

The Chief Minister further said the new facility would make it easier for youth and professionals in the state to travel abroad, while also boosting tourism and strengthening international ties. Until now, people from Odisha had to travel to cities like Kolkata and Hyderabad to apply for visas.

The state government has provided around 3,000 square feet of space for the centre being operated by VFS Global within the Baramunda bus terminal premises.

Initially, the centre will offer visa services for 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Estonia, Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Japan, Morocco and Egypt. The Chief Minister said more countries are expected to be added in the future.

According to officials, VFS Global currently provides visa services for 53 countries through over 560 centres across 20 cities in India. Globally, the company operates in 167 countries, offering visa, passport and consular services to governments and diplomatic missions through more than 4,000 centres.

The event was attended by representatives from the embassies of Austria, Italy and Switzerland, along with senior state government officials and VFS Global representatives.