My wife and I sent out for visas to India through CKGS Chicago. We're both US-born citizens, her parents are US-born, and my parents were born in India (now naturalized).

My wife's experience: Obnoxiously confusing website, doesn't understand why they ask about religion on there, but she sent hers in on the 2nd of November. Received on the 5th, sent to consulate on the 6th, back to CKGS on the 10th, in her hands on the 12th.

My experience: Sent on 30th October, received on the 2nd. I didn't have the copies of parents' passports (which was my mistake), so they told me to send them. I sent one on the 4th, and they asked for my passport information and order number. I sent that again on the 5th. I called on the 6th and they said they were checking it; I called on the 10th and they said the same thing. I started asking what they're looking for (that was a tactical mistake).

On the 13th, they finally "received" the document, then sent it to the consulate on the 16th. It was returned on the 17th to CKGS, but they waited until the 20th to print the label (I called them twice in the meantime asking when I could expect it) and the 23rd to send it to me (received today).

Overall experience was meh. The wife's was pretty smooth; mine was dicey and I thought about reporting the passport lost/stolen because of the delays.