Biometric kiosks opened at Delhi airport: DIAL

The kiosks are aimed at completing biometric registration of foreign nationals with a valid e-visa, which will reduce long queues and waiting time at the immigration desk.

Five biometric registration kiosks have been made operational at the arrivals pier of Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in the Capital, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the airport operator, announced on Friday. The kiosks are aimed at completing biometric registration of foreign nationals with a valid e-visa, which will reduce long queues and waiting time at the immigration desk.

Biometric kiosks have been made operational at the Delhi airport. (Bloomberg (photo for representative purpose only))

The GMR-led DIAL said that for the first time such a technology has been implemented at any airport in India, with five more such kiosks likely to be installed soon.

“These kiosks are specifically designed for foreign nationals arriving in India with a visa and whose biometric information was not collected during the application process. The kiosks, established by DIAL, will be operated under the direct supervision of the Bureau of Immigration (BOI),” said a DIAL spokesperson on Friday.

The airport operator said that after registering the biometric data at the kiosk, the total time taken by immigration officers at the counter should come down by more than 50%.

“Previously, visa-holding passengers arriving in Delhi without biometric registration were required to utilise the designated immigration counters, resulting in an average wait time of four to five minutes per passenger. During peak hours, these queues could lead to even longer delays,” the spokesperson added.

DIAL said that the addition of new kiosks in future is likely to streamline the process even further. “The introduction of these biometric registration kiosks is among the many firsts that the Delhi airport has achieved. It represents a significant step forward in expediting the immigration process and enhancing passenger convenience, particularly for those who were unable to submit their biometrics during the visa application process,” said DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar.