Zubin Karkaria honoured with TAAI’s ‘Award of Distinction’

Zubin Karkaria, CEO – VFS Global, and CEO – Kuoni Group, was conferred with the prestigious ‘Award of Distinction’ by the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), for his long-standing contribution to the Indian travel and tourism industry. The award was presented to Karkaria at the 63rd TAAI Convention held in Abu Dhabi on 14 October 2016. The award recognizes Karkaria’s pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit and his role as a mentor in the industry.

Presently, VFS Global serves 51 client governments and operates in 126 countries across 5 continents. The company, which pioneered the concept of visa process outsourcing, has facilitated travel across the world by enhancing efficiencies in the visa application process and making the overall visa application experience easier and more convenient for potential travellers. The ISO 27001:2013 certified company (for Information Security Management System) has been recognized for maintaining highest levels of security, while adhering to best practices in technology, innovation, and streamlined service delivery.

Karkaria, who has been a part of the travel industry for more than 25 years, established visa processing multinational VFS Global in 2001. In 2015, he became the first Asian to head the Switzerland headquartered Kuoni Group. Speaking at the event, Karkaria said, “I am honoured to receive this recognition from TAAI, with whom I have been closely associated since the beginning of my career. VFS Global has always supported and cooperated with the travel fraternity whilst ensuring the overall sanctity of the visa application process as per requirements of our client governments. We owe our success to the trust that our client governments, partners, the travel trade, applicants, and all our stakeholders have placed in us, and are committed to the continuous enhancement of our services.”

Said Sunil Kumar R, President, TAAI, “Zubin Karkaria and VFS Global are great examples of the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the Indian travel & tourism industry. Today we are very proud to state that the VFS Global spark was ignited in India and then spread across the world like a raging fire. Zubin is a beacon for our industry and an inspiration, who has demonstrated that when you dare to dream and are committed to making it happen, virtually anything is possible. Today, TAAI is proud to honour and recognize the contribution of Zubin for his pioneering initiatives which includes the establishment of an enterprise like VFS Global, strongly reflecting leadership of a highly commendable order, and supporting travel not just in India but across the world.”