According to the bilateral agreement between New Delhi and Riyadh, the total Haj quota allotted to India for 2025 is 1,75,025 pilgrims
NEW DELHI — A delegation of Haj Group Organisers has urgently sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi following a sudden and distressing reduction in India’s private Haj organisers’ quota for 2025 by Saudi Arabia.
The private Haj quota for India was recently cut by a staggering 80 per cent, from 52,507 to just 10,000. India’s total quota for Haj pilgrims this year is 175,025. Of this, the Haj Committee of India, under the Minority Affairs Ministry, is managing arrangements for 122,518 pilgrims under the main quota.
Addressing a press conference at the Press Club of India here on Wednesday, the delegation representatives said the Saudi government’s unexpected decision has triggered severe hardship and uncertainty for thousands of Indian pilgrims who have already made financial contributions and begun preparations for their sacred journey.
According to the bilateral agreement between New Delhi and Riyadh, the total Haj quota allotted to India for 2025 is 1,75,025 pilgrims, distributed as follows:
1. 70% (1,22,517 pilgrims) allocated to the Haj Committee of India (HCoI)
2. 30% (52,507 pilgrims) reserved for Private Haj Group Organisers/HGOs
For the first time, the Saudi government has introduced a phased payment system linked to the Nusuk platform, requiring the timely completion of these steps:
1. Selection of Zone at Mina (Tent City) & Arafat
2. Payment to the service provider (Maktab) for services at Mina and Arafat
3. Payment for housing, transportation and other services at Makkah and Madinah.
4. Issuance of Haj visas and insurances
Due to delays in the activation of the Nusuk Wallet for HGOs, the HCoI intervened and made the zone selection payments on behalf of HGOs during January 2025, charging ₹1,000 per pilgrim for the facility, an advance payment facility for each Haj pilgrim, which is paid within the stipulated time.
However, a circular issued by the Haj cell of the Ministry of Minority Affairs on March 6, first time stated that the deadline for payment to the service provider had been February 14, 2025 — a deadline All CHGOs (combined Haj group Organiser) already missed due to unresolved wallet activation, technical issues, or other reasons.
They also underlined that on February 7, some CHGOs had remitted lakhs of Saudi riyals along with the zone selection payments of (HCOI) through the HCOI channel, as per the ministry’s circular dated January 2, 2025.
However, the additional funds meant for essential services were not credited to the Nusuk Wallet due to unknown reasons; it is the lapses of the concerned officers/ department who create the situation, preventing subsequent payments for service providers, (housing, and transportation), they added.
The fund was supposed to be transferred to Saudi authorities through the Haj Committee/Indian Consulate at Jeddah, but that did not happen, according to the delegation.
According to the ministry’s March 6 notice, all these payments were indeed routed via HCoI and credited to the Nusuk Wallet in time. However, the Nusuk portal was not reopened for further processing despite repeated follow-ups with the ministry
The organisers blamed lapses on the part of ministry officials for the drastic cut in the private Haj quota.
“This chain of administrative officials and technical failures has led to the drastic and unjust action/cut in the private Haj quota, leaving thousands of pilgrims stranded, despite our government securing the 1.75 plus lakhs seats and all pilgrims being spiritually and financially ready for Haj 2025,” the organisers said.
They made a passionate appeal to the prime minister to personally intervene and take up the matter with the Saudi authorities. The goal is to restore the full private quota of 52,507, ensure justice for the affected pilgrims and preserve the credibility of India’s Haj management system, and the bilateral agreement between two great and responsible nations, they emphasised.
The spiritual aspirations of thousands of Indian Haj pilgrims depend on a fair and timely resolution of this crisis.
