INDIA’S SMART CARD PARADOX
BIZ MASALA INVESTIGATES Approved, But Not Delivered: Why Motorists Still Wait for Driving Licences and Registration Certificates By Murthy ASR | Biz Masala India has digital transport platforms and national technical standards. Yet reports from Telangana describe recurring delays between application, approval, card production and delivery. The question is where the service chain stalls, who is responsible at each stage, and whether reforms can be measured. THE CITIZEN AT THE END OF THE SYSTEM Buying a vehicle should mark the beginning of a journey, not a prolonged exercise in tracking paperwork. In April 2026, The New Indian Express reported that nearly 40,000 vehicle-registration applications had accumulated in Hyderabad following the VAHAN rollout, with delays averaging about 15 days at that stage. In September 2026, The Hans India reported that some vehicle owners were waiting nearly two months for their RCs. These are separate reported episodes, not proof of one c...