Some tips based on my experience to help you apply for 'Reissue of Indian Passport after 10 yrs' in the USA.

Some time back I applied in person to renew my passport at the BLS International, NYC, office. In this post I would like to provide some tips to help you submit a 'complete' application to avoid a rejection.

The application procedure might have changed since my application. Check your region's Indian Consulate General's website to find out the current service provider and the service provider's site for the most current instructions. At the time of my application renewal of Indian Passport in the USA was via BLS International, US. Their website is at www.passport.blsindia-usa.com .

Tip 1. The 'Online application form': This one was labelled 'On-Line Passport Registration at Indian Mission/Post For NRIS'. To prevent rejection fill all fields like 'no. 7 Particulars of person to be intimated in......', '9. Local car driving Licence...' (If you don't have a license fill your US State ID, like me), '11. When did applicant first leave India?....', '12. How long has applicant continuously...', '19. Name and address of two relatives/friends...', etc. I had some of the above fields empty and the person at the counter asked me to fill them up.
If you live in a rental and are planning for an address change in the future, you can enter your current US address and later apply for 'Change of Address' service. I never used my previous passport for travel or other uses and it still had my older US address when applying for reissue and I did not have any problems.

Tip 2. The 'Nationality Verification Form/ Personal Particulars form': This was in .doc format. I have been residing in the USA for a long time and had kept the '8. Complete Permanent Address In India' and '14. Name & Address Of Two Relatives / Friends....Not of the same family' field empty. But, when I was at the BLS office in person the representative insisted that these fields be filled or my application will be returned. So, at the counter I filled in my parents' address for both field '8' and '14'.

Tip 3. The BLS Passport Order Form: I had kept the 'Airway Bill No.' field empty and submitted this online form as I wished to have return shipping by USPS Priority mail and had not bought the prepaid passport delivery yet.

Tip 4. Photographs: Please try to get a good photograph per the requirements. When you go to the photo studio it would be a good idea to take with you a small drawing which shows the photo dimensions, expected dimensions of the face, etc. If possible, ask to show digital copy before printout to make sure the head dimensions and photo quality are OK. I wear glasses but the first time I got photo taken and they has small white spots on them due to glare. When I got the photographs done again in NYC the digital copy of the photo again had glare spots on them. So, the photographer advised that passport photo without glasses would be acceptable. In my previous passports I wear glasses and I did want them on my photo this time too, but after five attempts to get a glare free photo (four with a previous photographer and once in NYC) I gave up. I submitted my application having my photo without my glasses and did not have a rejection. If you wear glasses in your previous passport photo and now wish to have one without them check with BLS by email if you need to give a 'Change of Appearance' form. I had this form in my application, but that was because I now keep my head bald.

I got my photograph taken in New York city at
Bleeker Digital Solutions 64 Bleecker Street New York, NY 10012, 212-254-4345, http://www.bleekerdigital.com
I found above studio after searching on yelp.com.
The cost of two passport size photo was $10.00 and the quality was good.
I found some other places in NYC on yelp.com.
1)  A Y studios 401 Broadway, Ste 512 New York, NY 10013, (212) 625-3834.
this one had good reviews on yelp.com.
2)  88 Images Photo Lab 100 Lafayette St New York, NY 10013, (212) 966-9250, http://www.88imagesphoto.com/
I visited this one and saw someone else's printed passport photos and they looked good. The prices here were much lower. If you already have a photo then you can get additional copies done here.

There are others in NYC, search on yelp.com. 

Consider these before selecting a photographer:
a) Charge per passport photo
b) Charge per additional photo
c) Price to provide digital copy, if you wish to have one. You can also digitize a copy of a passport photo using a scanner or at a store like Staples too.  
d) Have studio with area for photograph with good lighting
e) Appointment needed

I had pasted one photograph on the 'Application Form For Indian Passport...', and one each on 'Nationality Verification Form...'. I had put extra three photographs in a marked cover along with my application, but the representative returned them back to me saying they were not needed.

Tip 5. Keep copy of previous Passport: You may have to attach the previous passport to your application as well, so it would be a good idea to make a scanned copy or color photocopies of it for your future record as well to have something on hand in case the old passport gets lost in the mail.

Tip 6:  I did not make a color Photocopy of a residential proof of the applicant as it was not mentoned in instructions.

Tip 7. Change of Appearance: If appearance has changed do not forget to fill out a 'Change of Appearance' form and get it notarized. If you has glasses in your previous passport and now wish to have one without them check with BLS by email if you need to give a 'Change of Appearance' form.

Tip 8. Notary: Notaries are available at your bank, UPS offices, etc. Call for charges; your bank may do it for free, UPS charges around $5/document. If you need to get something notarized while at the BLS application office in NYC there is a UPS office nearby .

Tip 9.  For Passport Return by USPS: I selected to have return by USPS priority mail. Be careful if purchasing postage on USPS.com. The last time I checked (Oct, 2013), a USPS priority mail postage label purchased on USPS.com (the postage cost is about 60c lower than that in the post office) will have a 'posted on' date on it. If you post the mail on any other day it will be rejected.
If you wish to use USPS priority mail for your passport return:
(1.) Just take a normal sized priority mail envelope and fill your address under 'To' and BLS International's address under 'From'.
(2.) Purchase and affix priority mail postage stamp to the envelope. and
(3.) Do not forget to get a tracking number barcode and affix it to the envelope.

Tip 10. Application Fee: I could have payed in cash but had purchased a USPS money order for application fee as I was planning to mail my forms. There was a charge of $1.20 for a USPS money order for amounts between $0.01 to $500.00.

Tip 11. Visit to BLS office, NYC: There were not many people at my appointment time around 12:00 pm on a Thursday. I felt I could have come earlier or even slightly later (before they close for passport applications) to submit my application. You have to mark your name in printed sheet at the entrance and the guard will give you a token number. I think it was better for me to apply in person as I had some fields empty in my form (mentioned above in item 1, 2) and the representative had advised me fill them so that my form would not be rejected.

Tip 12. Email BLS for any questions and Check Application status: I did email BLS a few questions and got replies after few days. I received my passport in the mail after about 14 days. In my case I got tracking information on USPS.com only after the mail had reached my local USPS distribution center. If you do not receive your passport after about nine/ten days from the date you submitted the application, I would suggest that you should email BLS to check for the status. I had emailed the NYC Consulate General after about two weeks on my passport status and had got a reply within a short time of my emailing them on the same day.

That's all I have. Best of luck for your Passport Application.