intensify their economic engagement with the countries of their accreditation under the “Marker
Expansion Activities”. The funding has been utilized to help promote Indian exports through
catalogue shows and buyer-seller meets, engage consultants to prepare market studies, organize
business seminars to attract foreign investments, and undertake advocacy work to promote
interests of Indian enterprises seeking business opportunities overseas.
States
MEA has a States Division, established in 2014, to foster closer links between Indian
missions and posts abroad and states/union territories. The Division successfully endeavoured in
promoting external outreach of states through provisional and regional cooperation in the domain
of bilateral relations. It facilitated the signing of various Sister City/Sister States and other MoUs
between state/union territory governments and foreign entities in 2017. In order to enhance
external outreach of states/union territories, it represented MEA at various events in the states,
including global investor meets and significant cultural events of states that generate significant
international exposure for the states of India. This Division rendered assistance to foreigners in
distress and eliminate any negative fallout from these events abroad.
Counter Terrorism
In the wake of various terrorism-related incidents that occurred in different parts of the
world in 2017, the issue of terrorism found prominent mention in various high-level bilateral and
multilateral meetings. During all such interactions, India strongly condemned terrorism in all its
forms and manifestations and reiterated its commitment to combating the menace at a global
level.
Global Cyber Issues
Increasing use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the social and
economic development of nations has made cyber issues one of the significant subjects of
diplomatic discussions around the world. In keeping with its profile the MEA upscaled its Global
Cyber Issues cell to create the new Cyber Diplomacy (CD) Division which has been entrusted
with the responsibility of projection and safeguarding of Indian interests on the subject in
international fora.
Consular, Passport and Visa Services
In recent years, the issuance of passports has emerged as the most noticeable statutory and
citizen service rendered by this Ministry. It has made many quantitative and qualitative
improvements in the delivery of passport services. Indian Passports [together with other travel
documents such as Identity Certificates (IC), Emergency Certificates (EC) for returnees to India,
Police Clearance Certificates (PCC) and Line of Control Travel Permits in Jammu and Kashmir]
are issued by the Ministry through the Central Passport Organisation and its all India network of
37 Passport Offices, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration. This network has
been vastly expanded by adding 92 Passport Seva Kendras(PSKs) in Public Private Partnership
(PPP) mode and 60 Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSKs) in association with Ministry of
Communications, as extended arms of Passport Offices. For Indians living abroad, passports,
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, EC and other miscellaneous consular services, apart from