New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday expanded the “Trusted Traveller Programme” to five more airports, making immigration simpler, faster, and hassle-free and promoting tourism with “speed, scale and scope” as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at the inauguration of the programme at Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Trichy, Calicut, and Amritsar airports via video conferencing, HM Shah said, “The scheme offers a great opportunity to apprise visitors about the sweeping changes taking place in the country.”

He said it was a happy coincidence that the facility is being expanded to the five airports on the historic day on which, 132 years ago, Swami Vivekanand, through his brilliant address at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, presented the radiant vision of Indian culture and Sanatan Dharma to the entire world. “In a way, that moment marked the resurgence of Indian culture, and that phase has continued till today,” he said. HM Shah said the “Trusted Traveller Programme” is a step to realise PM Modi’s dream of “Speed, Scale and Scope” as the latter has repeatedly stressed that we need to work on a trust multiplier while employing technological tools. “But more than just putting a system in place, we need to ensure that the maximum number of people avail the service,” he said.

The Fast Track Immigration - Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) is a government-led initiative designed to expedite immigration clearance for eligible travellers. The government targets to provide the facility to nearly two dozen airports. Initially available for Indian nationals and OCI cardholders, this programme ensures a faster, smoother, and more secure travel experience for pre-verified passengers. The easy, quick process - using biometric e-gates - reduces waiting time at airports from around 30 minutes to seconds. Initially launched as a complimentary facility for OCI cardholders and Indian nationals, the programme has now been extended to several major airports. The system requires online registration and provides biometric data, including fingerprints and facial images, to avail trouble-free immigration at participating airports. The biometric data can be directly provided to airports or the Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.