SRINAGAR: A GPS-enabled smartwatch made mandatory for Indian Hajj pilgrims this year has come under scrutiny after several pilgrims reportedly complained that the device was malfunctioning, difficult to operate and failing to serve its intended purpose.
According to a report published by The Times of India, the controversy surfaced after a sudden airfare hike of nearly Rs 10,000 per pilgrim in late April triggered wider questions over the overall Hajj expenditure structure. Among the costs drawing attention was a Rs 4,332 deduction from each pilgrim’s Hajj deposit for the smartwatch, according to a Hajj officer.
The device, officially called the Hajj Suvidha Smartwatch, was introduced this year by the Hajj Committee of India as a mandatory safety measure for approximately 1.2 lakh Indian pilgrims undertaking the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
The smartwatch was procured through a fast-tracked tender process and supplied by Sekyo Innovations.
As per the report, pilgrims who have already departed for Hajj claimed that many of the devices were not switching on, failing to hold charge, or were not effectively tracking users.
The report said the smartwatch forms part of the official Hajj kit distributed to pilgrims before departure, alongside passport stickers, luggage tags, boarding passes and identification cards.
Members associated with the Delhi State Hajj Committee told The Times of India that the inclusion of the GPS-enabled watch was aimed at improving pilgrim safety during Hajj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings where crowd management and preventing pilgrims from getting lost remain major logistical concerns.
This year, between 1.7 million and 1.9 million pilgrims are expected to participate in Hajj.
However, the implementation of the smartwatch system has reportedly faced difficulties on the ground.
A pilgrim from Old Delhi told The Times of India that many elderly and less tech-savvy pilgrims were struggling to operate the device.
According to the report, several pilgrims were informed that the watches would be activated only after reaching Saudi Arabia, while many users reportedly faced software update and activation issues.
The report further said that nearly 70 per cent of pilgrims in some groups had reportedly been unable to switch on the device properly.
The smartwatch initiative has also drawn attention because other major Hajj-participating countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan reportedly continue to rely primarily on traditional group coordination systems and mobile-based communication instead of mandatory wearable tracking devices.
According to the report, Sekyo Innovations follows a hybrid manufacturing model in which the watches are designed and assembled in India while key technological components, including GPS modules, sensors and chipsets, are sourced from Hong Kong, China and Canada.
The controversy has now added to broader concerns among pilgrims over rising Hajj costs, especially after the recent airfare increase pushed overall expenditure for some pilgrims beyond Rs 4 lakh per person.
