Rs 7,000 GPS watches for Haj pilgrims not working | India News
New Delhi: When a sudden hike in airfares of Rs 10,000 per pilgrim was announced in late April, it sparked a wide-ranging debate about what India’s pilgrims were actually paying for, and one line item that came under immediate scrutiny was the Rs 7,000 deduction for each GPS-Margri 2. was forced to carry. The smartwatch, procured by the Haj Committee of India and supplied by Delhi-based firm Sekyo Innovations, was positioned as a security measure. But pilgrims who have since left say the device isn’t turning on, isn’t holding a charge and isn’t “really tracking” anyone. The ‘Hajj Facilitation Smartwatch’ is an essential security device for Indian pilgrims this year. The decision, implemented by the Hajj Committee of India, focused on the safety of pilgrims, but raised questions about cost, execution and necessity. Each pilgrim effectively paid Rs 7,000 for the device, deducted from their Hajj deposit—one of the seven main expenses of the standard Hajj package, including food, accommodation and transport. Families are already incurring total costs that can exceed Rs 4 lakh per person, and the clock has become a flashpoint due to a sudden Rs 10,000 per head hike in airfare announced in late April. The watches were procured through a fast-track tender process in 2025 More than 1.2 lakh devices were ordered Sekyo Innovations, a Delhi-based firm, operates on a hybrid model – sourcing key high-tech components including GPS modules, sensors and chipsets from Hong Kong, China and Canada while designing and assembling the watch in India. According to members of the Delhi State Haj Committee, the smartwatch is included in the Haj kit distributed to pilgrims before the journey: “Every year, some changes are made. The departure kit usually consists of a passport sticker, luggage tag, boarding pass, ID card and now for the first time a GPS-enabled watch,” a member told TOI. Hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, with millions of people congregating in and around Mecca. Managing crowds, preventing stampedes and ensuring that no pilgrims get lost are long-standing challenges. This year, 1.7-1.9 million people are expected to participate. Unlike India, other major Hajj-sending countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan rely instead on traditional group management systems and mobile-based coordination. The rollout of the smartwatch, designed to track Indian pilgrims and provide emergency assistance, has not been smooth. Usman Ansari, a pilgrim from Old Delhi, told TOI that many travelers – especially the elderly and less tech-savvy ones – struggle to use the device. “They told us that the watch will be activated in Saudi Arabia, but most people don’t know how to operate it.“… about 70% were not even able to launch it because some update or other was needed,” he added.
