Overview
- Indo-Pacific Minister Seema Malhotra launched the Tamil Nadu rollout in Chennai during her visit this week.
- The expansion adds a Tamil-language WhatsApp chatbot and community engagement sessions to help applicants spot scams and access accurate visa advice, with the chatbot available at +91 70652 51380.
- Officials say the effort builds on a pilot in Punjab that has shown encouraging early results.
- The initiative is linked to the UK–India Vision 2035 framework, which commits both countries to counter organised exploitation and reduce irregular travel.
- The launch coincides with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s new measures tightening asylum routes and targeting trafficking networks, and Malhotra is also using the trip to advance the recently signed UK–India FTA in meetings with firms including Tesco, Revolut and BT.