The Indian embassy is considering options to provide most consular services in another location in Doha, preferably in a centrally located place, and also in Al Khor and Industrial Area.

"The intention is more people would benefit without coming to the embassy for receiving the services," the newly-appointed Indian Ambassador P Kumaran, said.

He was addressing a meeting of representatives of numerous Indian forums affiliated to the Indian Cultural Centre on Sunday prior to briefing them on the agenda of the next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) celebrations in Bengaluru in January 2017.

It was his first interaction with the community.

Representatives of some of the forums complained that the embassy did not take up some issues at the appropriate levels in the the last three to four years but expressed the hope that under the stewardship of the new ambassador there would be many favourable changes in the coming months.

Kumaran agreed that some of those issues called for the urgent intervention of local officials and he assured the community members of the embassy’s willingness to help them.

The envoy said he and his colleagues at the embassy were committed to protecting the interests of the community members and would do whatever is possible to alleviate their grievances.

In reply to the ambassador’s call for the participation of more people, including their Qatari friends for the next PBD celebrations, the representatives of the forums said they would convey the message to their Qatari colleagues in business, trade and commerce about the investment opportunities in India in different sectors.

At least 75 people expressed their willingness to travel to Bengaluru for the PBD meeting early next year.

Some of the members highlighted the necessity of the Ministry of External Affairs alerting the state governments to improve the services provided to the Non Resident Indians from the Gulf region.

Chaliyar Doha member V C Mashood sought the ambassador’s intervention in upgrading the services at Calicut International Airport in Kerala’s Malappuram district.

The airport, which serves a large number of expatriates from three or four northern Kerala districts, lacks in many areas, he complained..

Kumaran said he would follow up the issue with those concerned.

Newly appointed Indian Ambassador Periyaswamy Kumaran addresses the gathering.

Appeal for higher education at ‘affordable costs’

Several Indian expatriates lamented the lack of opportunities for higher education at `affordable costs’ for their children in Qatar.
The ambassador said he would discuss the matter with local officials and make efforts to bring some of the well-known higher educational institutions from India to Qatar.
Replying to a question from a community member, the envoy said embassy officials have had discussions with the local authorities and it was clear there were no hurdles in holding postgraduate distance education courses in Qatar of institutions from India.
The member referred to some of the Indian educational institutions running campuses in Dubai and also the possibility of more Gulf countries inviting Indian institutions to set up campuses. Kumaran hoped the local authorities would respond positively to a proposal from the embassy on the issue.
Indian Cultural Centre president Girish Kumar earlier appealed to the Indian authorities to consider sanctioning universities for NRI children in different parts of India.