Validity of PIO Card Extended upto March 31, 2020

The Government of India has extended the timeline for conversion of all Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards to Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards to March 31, 2020 instead of earlier deadline of September 30, 2019.
This means that the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) will accept all Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards (including handwritten PIO cards), along with valid foreign passport, as valid travel document for exit from/entry into India, till March 31, 2020.
However, the extension is subjected to the condition that if in the meantime, any deadline is notified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) thereby making handwritten PIO cards invalid, then PIO cardholders may have to obtain appropriate visa from Indian Missions/Posts.
OCI card is a smart card to facilitate quicker immigration clearance at Immigration Check Posts.