Indian authorities announced the opening of a new Fast Track Immigration — Trusted Traveler Program (FTI-TTP) for Indian nationals and foreign nationals holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards.

Key Points:

• FTI-TTP allows OCI cardholders to utilize e-gates and bypass regular immigration lines free of charge to expedite the immigration clearance process.
• The scheme will be implemented in two phases, initially covering Indian nationals and OCI cardholders exclusively and then expanding to all foreign travelers.
• Applicants may register online with their details and required documents here. FTI-TTP will launch at 21 major airports in the country. In the first phase, it will launch at eight major airports — Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Additional Information: FTI-TTP registration will be valid until an applicant’s passport expires or five years and can be renewed. Applicants will need to provide biometrics in addition to other required information. The new process will then establish a passenger’s genuine identity and biometric authentication, and allow individuals to pass through an e-gate, automatically granting immigration clearance.

BAL Analysis: FTI-TTP was officially inaugurated on June 22 at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. The Fast Track system, modeled after the U.S. Global Entry program, will allow eligible individuals to obtain immigration clearances more quickly and efficiently.