India issues over 96 lakh e-visas since 2020: MEA

India has issued more than 96 lakh electronic visas to foreign nationals between 2020 and July 20, 2025, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Responding to a written question, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh also stated that the number of countries eligible for India’s e-visa programme has expanded from 171 in 2020 to 181 in 2025.

In reply to queries about e-visa issuance and the widening of eligibility over the last five years, Singh noted, “Total number of e-visas granted from 2020 to 20.07.2025 is 96,44,567.”

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also shared information on India’s assistance to international pilgrims, including those travelling for Hajj and Sikh pilgrims using the Kartarpur Corridor.

“Each year, the Saudi authorities announce a Hajj quota for India. In recent years, this quota has, on average, been set at 1,75,025 Indian pilgrims,” the minister stated.

On the status of the Kartarpur Corridor, Singh said, “Since its inauguration, the corridor has been used by over 4,00,000 pilgrims to visit the holy Gurdwara in Pakistan.” However, he clarified that “Kartarpur Corridor operations have been suspended since Operation Sindoor.” He added that under the 1974 India-Pakistan Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, both countries facilitate pilgrim visits across the border.

Singh recalled the bilateral agreement signed on October 24, 2019, to operationalise the Kartarpur Corridor in time for the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. “An agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for the facilitation of pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Narowal, Pakistan, was signed on 24 October, 2019, in order to fulfil the long-standing demand of pilgrims for easy and smooth access to the holy Gurdwara and to operationalise the corridor for the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji,” he said.

In another response, the MEA was asked to provide data on Indian labourers employed overseas in construction and other labour-intensive sectors.

“As per available data, a total of 16,06,964 Indian workers (including those engaged in construction/labour-intensive works) holding Emigration Check Required (ECR) category passports have been issued Emigration Clearance (EC) for employment in ECR countries during the last five years from January 2020 to 30 June, 2025,” Singh said.

The ministry also addressed a query on whether the government had conducted any classification of the Indian diaspora based on skill sets, disciplines, or subject areas.

Singh explained that the government maintains country-wise data on the diaspora, categorised into Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), and Indian students abroad.

“As of January 2025, there are 17.17 million NRIs and 17.18 million PIOs residing across the world, including 1.88 million Indian students studying abroad,” he stated.

However, he clarified, “The Government has not carried out any exercise to categorise the Indian diaspora on the basis of their discipline/subject expertise or to map their skill sets.”

With inputs from agencies