NXP to involve in GOI's e-passport project

Bangalore, May 18 (UNI) The NXP, one of the world's leading semiconductor companies, is keen to involve itself in the Union Government's e-passport project which was likely to crystallise soon, Company President and CEO Frans Van Houten said today.

Addressing newsmen here, he said the Centre had decided to replace the present manual issue of passports with e-passports.

Over 40 million passports had been issued manually so far and over 1.5 to two million passports are issued every year. The NXP had shown inclination to support the project.

Mr Houten said the Union Government had dialogue with NXP as well as with other players on the project and the pilot was expected to be put in place in 2008.

The standardisation of the issue of e-passport project was in the process. Eighty-five per cent of the countries which had already introduced e-passport system employed NXP solutions.

Elaborating, Mr Houten said to begin with e-passport for diplomats and officials would be issued before being introduced for general public.

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