Months after tender ban, MEA renews BLS International’s attestation contract

BLS International Services on Thursday said that it has secured the renewal of its contract with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for providing attestation and apostille services across India.

The development comes months after the MEA, in October, barred the company from participating in future tenders for two years. The order was issued “on the account of allegations including court cases and complaints of applicants.”

Despite the earlier restriction, the renewed mandate allows BLS International to continue operating its existing service centres in Delhi, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Panaji, Kochi, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Jaipur, Patna and Puducherry, the company said in a statement.

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Scope of services under renewed contract

Under the agreement, BLS International will handle MEA attestation and apostille services for educational, non-educational and commercial documents. These services validate and authenticate Indian documents for use abroad — a critical requirement for those seeking overseas employment, higher education, business, or migration.

Also Read: BLS International debarred from MEA tenders for two years; existing contracts unaffected

What is attestation and apostille?

Attestation: A verification process used by countries outside the Hague Convention, confirming the authenticity of Indian documents so they are legally recognised abroad.

Apostille: A single authentication issued by the MEA for countries that are part of the Hague Convention. Once apostilled, documents are accepted by all member nations without further verification.

In a statement, BLS International Joint Managing Director Shikhar Aggarwal said: “We are honoured to work with the Ministry of External Affairs in India to deliver unparalleled Attestation and Apostille services across the country. This contract renewal is a testimony to our consistent service delivery and continued commitment to supporting digital services and public-sector needs.”

BLS International operates in more than 70 countries, handling visa, citizen and consular services for multiple governments worldwide.