Newly appointed Consul General Dr E Vishnu Vardhan Reddy used his first Independence Day address to highlight improvements to passport and consular services following the Consulate's transition to a new service provider.

He said the Consulate had cleared its pendency in both Tatkal and regular passport applications. "All applications submitted up to last Saturday have been processed. Normal passport applications are currently being processed within five working days, while Tatkal applications are being processed the next day and dispatched on the third day from the applicant's perspective," he told Gulf News later.

He added that improving the appointment system and addressing applicants' challenges would be the next priority.

In his speech, Dr Reddy outlined his broad priorities for the tenure ahead: consular and passport services, strengthening India-UAE relations, cultural integration, and commercial engagement and investment partnerships.

Speaking on India's 80th Independence Day, he described it as a privilege to serve the Indian community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates and urged expats to contribute to India's development goals. He said the Consulate would maintain closer engagement with the community while focusing on service delivery and promoting India's culture and heritage in the UAE.

Sunny Dungrawal, vice-president of finance at a travel management company, attended with his wife Glory and their four-year-old son Parshav in their first participation at the Consulate's Independence Day celebration. Sunny said they wanted their son to experience the spirit of the occasion and learn about the national anthem and India's symbols. He said he was surprised by the size of the crowd, having reached at 6.40am and still having to queue for a long while to get inside.

He felt the milestone of the 80th Independence Day, combined with a heightened sense of solidarity among Indians in the UAE, contributed to the strong turnout. He added that the UAE's support for citizens and expatriates alike amid recent regional tensions had strengthened his own sense of belonging to the country.

Masiuddin Mohammed, chairman of the Telugu Association, attended with the executive committee to represent the Telugu community. He said the community was proud to have a Telugu-speaking Consul General and highlighted the strong presence of Telugu Indians from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in the UAE.