An Indian executive’s account of India immigration delays has renewed debate over airport staffing, manual document checks and the use of automated border technology.
Venkat Patakota, group chief financial officer of A-Sunmarine Engineering, said in a post on X that one immigration process in India took about 45 minutes, compared with less than a minute in Singapore.
India immigration delays prompt traveler debate
Patakota said he joined an immigration line in India at about 6:45 p.m., where roughly 75 passengers were being handled by two officers. At about 7:15 p.m., he said, around 15 travelers were moved forward because boarding for their flight was scheduled to close at 7:45 p.m.
He said he cleared the process after about 45 minutes. The airport and date of the experience were not identified in the account provided.
By comparison, Patakota said immigration on arrival in Singapore took about 30 seconds using passport scanning and facial recognition. He said departure immigration on his return journey took about 45 seconds and included thumb-impression verification.
Manual checks and airport staffing questioned
After returning to India, Patakota said he encountered another line of more than 100 passengers, with two officers physically checking documents. He said his seat assignment helped him clear immigration in about 15 minutes, followed by another 15 minutes at security.
He also questioned an Ebola-related health declaration process, saying he had completed the form online but was still asked to provide a physical signature. According to his account, the signature was not checked.
Patakota argued that improving airport processing would support India’s efforts to attract more international visitors.
FTI-TTP offered as a faster option
Responses to the post were mixed. Some travelers said Indian airports remain too dependent on manual checks, while others noted that immigration delays also occur at major airports in Europe and the United States.
Hyderabad airport’s official X account advised eligible Indian passport holders and Overseas Citizen of India cardholders to consider the Fast Track Immigration–Trusted Traveller Programme. The program is intended to speed immigration processing for registered travelers.
The discussion highlights a broader challenge for India: expanding passenger volumes while improving staffing, automation and consistency at border checkpoints.
