Finally... improvement and tracking available for future applicants
An abstract from OCI link on the Indian Embassy site.
"Advisory: OCI and PIO Services outsourced
The Embassy of India has decided to outsource the handling of OCI & PIO applications to M/s. Travisa Outsourcing. The outsourcing arrangement in respect of the area falling under the consular jurisdiction of the Embassy of India, Washington DC (The Jurisdiction of Embassy of India, Washington D.C. is Bermuda, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.) will come into effect on 11th January, 2011.
For smooth transition it has been decided that no applications will be received by the Embassy of India from 1st January to 10th January, 2011. Intending applicants are therefore advised not to submit any OCI/PIO applications by mail or otherwise during this period.
M/s Travisa Outsourcing will receive OCI/PIO applications with effect from 11th January, 2011. All applications received by Travisa Outsourcing will be acknowledged to the applicants by the next working day. For detailed guidelines on submitting the applications, documentation requirements and fee etc., kindly visit the following links:
www'dot'travisaoci'dot'com
www'dot'travisapio'dot'com
The outsourcing arrangement will not affect the applicants whose applications are already under process. Such applicants will continue to deal directly with the Embassy of India including submission of additional documents and passports. However, the applicants whose applications have been returned by the Embassy on account of any deficiency will have to resubmit the application to M/s Travisa (and not to the Embassy of India) after addressing the deficiencies.
The outsourcing arrangement in respect of the areas falling under the consular jurisdictions of the Indian Consulates in New York, San Francisco, Houston and Chicago will come into effect subsequently for which the exact schedule will be notified by them separately.