VFS Global CEO: Global Mobility to Stay Strong Amid Shocks

Founder and CEO of VFS Global, Zubin Karkaria, says that despite the uncertainty of geopolitics, regional instability, and quick technological advancements, global mobility is expected to stay strong. Karkaria, in an interview with The Economic Times, said geopolitical events can have an impact on certain travel corridors and markets for limited periods, but the demand for international travel is always robust. His remarks come on the occasion of VFS Global's 25th anniversary of operations and its growth from visa processing to citizen services, mobility, identity and education, and technology-driven solutions. It now operates in 71 governments with over 4200 application centres in 169 countries and has facilitated over 557 million transactions since its creation in 2001.

Geopolitical Shocks May Affect Travel, but Demand Remains

The travel industry is one of the most disrupted sectors today, with geopolitical uncertainty being one of the largest factors. Travel routes, visa demand, and consumer confidence can all change very quickly as a result of conflicts, regional instability, diplomatic tensions, and changes in international relations.

But Karkaria thinks that these disruptions tend to be short-term in nature and do not significantly diminish the motivation or need for international travel.

He cited international tourists as an indicator of ongoing demand. Despite the recent geopolitical situation in the Middle East, international tourist arrivals increased by 2% in the first quarter of 2026.

According to Karkaria, mobility continues to be an important driver of economic and social progress. Tourism, education, job opportunities, business, family reunions, and other reasons are the underlying demand that can sustain the disruptions of individual geopolitical events.

VFS Global's multi-sourced presence also helps to protect against shocks to individual destinations. The company has operations in several governments, lines of service, markets and routes, so that it can keep serving travellers and governments even if some routes are temporarily disrupted.

Also Read: VFS Global Launches CSP Assistance for Germany Visa in Bengaluru & Kochi

VFS Global Completes 25 Years of Global Mobility Services

VFS Global is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2001. The company started with a relatively simple goal: to decrease the administrative burden of visa applications and to leave government decision-making to the government.

The first concept came up when the economic changes in India were leading to greater demand for overseas travel, Karkaria said. Applying for a visa was becoming a significant challenge for both travellers and governments.

The company pitched the US Embassy in Mumbai a pilot scheme that would include a separation of administrative work from the decision-making of consular officials. In the model, the administrative processes would be managed by VFS Global, and the visa decision made by the government officials.

The model eventually became a more general public-private partnership (P-PP) model for visa and consular services.

Since its inception, VFS Global has grown and expanded to a global platform serving 71 governments. It now has over 4,200 application centres in 169 countries. According to the company, it's processed over 557 million transactions since 2001.

UK Contract Became a Major Turning Point

2007 was one of the major events in the development of VFS Global's global expansion efforts, as it secured its first large global contract with UK Visas.

It was originally intended for 33 countries and played a pivotal role in making VFS Global an international service provider. The company's scope of work then grew to encompass biometric enrolment and visa application services in various markets.

Another key driver of the company's growth is technology, Karkaria noted. VFS Global has been implementing systems throughout the years, such as appointment management, biometric enrolment, digital document verification, doorstep visa services and remote visa processing.

The company now has a presence in the Migration Five countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US, as well as almost all the Schengen countries. It is also applicable to 23 of the 27 EU member states.

VFS Global Plans Further Expansion Beyond Visa Processing

While Visa services continue to be a significant portion of VFS Global's business, the company is also seeking opportunities outside of the traditional Visa application processing.

There were three key growth opportunities Karkaria saw for the company.

The first is the international visa market itself. Only about 65% of the global visa market is outsourced, so there's still a lot of potential, he said.

Passport penetration in key source markets is also relatively low. Karkaria quoted the penetration of passports in India as about 8% and in China at 16%. Increased demand for services related to visas may occur as the middle class continues to expand, and more people travel abroad for the first time.

Citizen services are the second growth area. VFS Global estimates the broader citizens service opportunity to be approximately $4 billion. There is a growing drive across the globe for governments to modernise public services and improve administrative processes in terms of speed, predictability and accessibility.

The third one is that of adjacent mobility and identity services, such as medical testing, attestation, verification, identity services, passport services, and consular services.

AI is set to transform Visa and Travel Services.AI is poised to revolutionize Visa and Travel Services.

AI Expected to Reshape Visa and Travel Services

Karkaria said that AI can enhance customer experience, streamline operations, prevent fraud, and boost security. The company has been spending over $100M per year on technology and innovation, such as AI, digital platforms, biometrics, and secure infrastructure.

VFS Global has built eight AI solutions on over 1200 routes and is available in 54 languages at its AI and Innovation Hub.

The company has additionally introduced a generative AI chatbot for the UK visa clients in 142 nations. The bot has been built by teams in Dubai, Mumbai and Berlin and offers support in multiple languages, 24/7.

The company's Intelligent Document Processing platform is another technology initiative. It leverages artificial intelligence to analyse extensive sets of documents with human supervision and security measures.

The strategy of the company implies that automation is being used to make administration easier, not to replace government decision-making. Visa decisions remain in the hands of governments, and supporting processes are made more efficient through the use of technology.

Also Read: UK Work Visa for Indians: Jobs, Costs & Rules

India Emerges as a Critical Global Mobility Market

India is projected to be a significant player in international mobility in the future.

In 2025, India's outbound departures were estimated to be 32.7 million, according to Karkaria. The market in India is also projected to be the fifth-largest outbound travel market by 2027.

The relatively low penetration of passports grows to the country's long-term potential. Millions of Indians with high income and aspirations could be added to the ranks of the first-time travellers to the world if only 8% of them held passports.

India's significance is also tied to its history for VFS Global. The company was established in India in 2001 and is proud to be a "Made in India" global success story.

With its Global Support Office in Mumbai and AI Innovation Centre, VFS Global now has its biggest talent and skills hub in India. Indian nationals make up approximately 35% of the entire workforce of the company worldwide.

The Indian government's involvement with the company is also noteworthy. VFS Global has completed over 21 million visa and passport applications for India since 2008 and currently has visa, passport, and consular services in 5 countries and 46 locations.

Education, Mobility, and Global Talent Become New Priorities

VFS Global is also making strides in international education.

The company's mission is to make the administrative procedure easier for students and higher education institutions that are engaged in cross-border admissions.

One of them is its cooperation with the top public technical universities in Austria. In the last year, VFS Education Services has reached out to over 600 engineering institutions in India that are listed with ANABIN and identified over 300 institutions that offer higher education programs in Austria. The students of the first group started studying at TU Leoben in March.

The company is also using the VFS Global Academy to develop talent for the international mobility sector.

The Academy was opened in 2022 and has already trained over 2800 students. The programme has been successful in securing internships for all the students who have taken part, and 95% of these have been placed, says VFS Global.

The company plans to have up to 20 Academy centres by the end of 2026 and to train 10,000 young people by 2030.

Data Security Remains a Major Focus

Data security is an essential concern for companies working in the visa processing business, especially because of the delicate personal and biometric information that is dealt with.

VFS Global complies with internationally recognised standards in information security, privacy and operational resilience, Karkaria said. The company states it is compliant with GDPR, data-localisation requirements, local data-protection laws and national cybersecurity laws in all jurisdictions in which it operates.

VFS Global reports that they undertake over 10,000 audits across the world annually, comprising over 9,700 internal audits and approximately 300 external audits by governments, certification bodies and independent assessors.

The company also claims that it adheres to data minimisation principles and provides applicant data to the appropriate government bodies. Data is kept in compliance with government directives and relevant regulations.

Karkaria also said that the data of the applicants is not kept forever. Upon successful transfer to the appropriate government, VFS Global deletes the information from its systems as per government directives and service agreements.

VFS Global Rejects Claims of Unusual EU Scrutiny

The interview also touched on the recent public debate on VFS Global's regulatory oversight and data handling practices.

Karkaria did not confirm that EU officials are "specifically" looking into the company. VFS Global works in a highly regulated industry and is thus constantly monitored, audited and reviewed by client governments, he said.

The business collaborates with almost all the governments of the Schengen countries, and regular compliance tests are part of its routine.

Karkaria further explained that VFS Global's government contracts are put out to tender. The assessments take account of technical capabilities, operational performance, compliance, security, financial strength, and innovation and value for money.

While the sector has a sensitive nature, the CEO said that the continued government partnership is a testament to the company's operating model, but compliance and oversight will remain essential.

Also Read: Visa Fees for All Countries from India: Latest Guide

What Does the Outlook Mean for International Travellers?

The overarching takeaway for travellers from VFS Global is that geopolitical insecurities will not stop people from travelling internationally.

However, conflicts, diplomacy, policy decisions, or security concerns can still impact individual travel corridors. The Visa Processing requirements could also change as governments react to the changing circumstances.

Meanwhile, as digital services grow, as does the use of biometrics, AI-driven customer support, and document processing; parts of the application process could become increasingly efficient over time.

Indian travellers have relatively low passport penetration and have a strong mobility potential, especially with a growing demand for education abroad.

International travel is going to be more uncertain and more technologically sophisticated in the future. While the rules and requirements may change, the demand for education, work, tourism, business, and international opportunities is anticipated to be robust among travellers.

Conclusion

VFS Global's CEO's assessment indicates that the global mobility industry is evolving, not withdrawing, in the face of geopolitical uncertainty. Travel demand is supported by an underlying base of international movement for tourism, education, employment, business, and migration, although individual routes can be affected by conflicts and diplomatic tensions, which can cause disruptions for a period of time. VFS Global's evolution is in line with this, as the company moves beyond its role in visa outsourcing to citizen services, identity, education, AI, and mobility solutions.

India is likely to be a key country going forward as outbound travel increases and millions of potential first-time international travellers ramp up their travel experiences within the global mobility system. The next few years will likely see changes to visa requirements, increased digitalisation, and continued demand for cross-border opportunities for travellers.

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