Had a very pleasant and seamless experience with my passport renewal at the Houston Consulate (36 page booklet with request for normal (not tatkal) processing): Took 13 business days / 18 calendar days. Amazing turnaround which I was not expecting!
1) 1/5 Couriered documents with UPS for 2nd day Air (labels purchased with UPS and not with VFS)
2) 1/7 Package delivered at VFS Application Centre
3) 1/9 VFS email: Application receipt acknowledged on VFS site. "You are requested to track the status of your application after 2-3 business days"
4) 1/11 VFS email: "We have received and your application is now "Under Process" at Houston. Use the Government Tracking ID # YYYY XX to "track and trace" on the VFS
5) 1/12 Your application has been processed at the VFS India Consular application currently is "In Transit" to the Embassy of India / Consulate General of India for decision
making
6) 1/14 Email from
[email protected]: Email advising that police verification has been sent to the Police Department
7) 1/15 Update on Govt site: Passport Print Initiated
8) 1/18 Update on Govt site: Passport being printed
9) 1/19 Update on Govt site: Passport sent to VFS
10) 1/20 VFS email: "Your application has been reviewed by the Embassy of India and will be dispatched with 24-48 hours
11) 1/20 evening : UPS return tracking indicated that UPS has picked up the package from VFS for 2nd day delivery (i.e. delivery scheduled for 1/22)
12) 1/22 afternoon: UPS package received with new passport and old passport (punched)