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