India introduces e-business visas to facilitate travel for Chinese citizens.

A comprehensive advise on the updated process and eligibility requirements for Chinese citizens wishing to apply for the Production Investment Business e-Visa (e-B-4) to visit India for certain business and industrial purposes has been released by the Indian Embassy in Beijing.

The warning states that Chinese nationals who plan to travel to India for purposes related to manufacturing, production, or industrial operations must apply online for the e-B-4 visa. Equipment installation and commissioning, quality assurance and necessary maintenance, production-related tasks, IT and ERP ramp-up, training, supply chain development for vendor empanelment, plant design and commissioning, and visits by executives and senior management are all eligible activities.

The guidance also made it clear that Indian businesses must first register on the National Single Window System (NSWS) site of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in order to invite Chinese citizens under the e-B-4 category.

It is necessary to register and do so via the NSWS platform’s “Business User Login” feature. An Indian company must successfully register in order to produce a sponsorship letter with a unique sponsorship number, which is required for the e-B-4 visa to be granted. Applications for e-B-4 visas must be submitted online via the Bureau of Immigration’s Indian visa portal. A copy of the passport page with the applicant’s personal information, the sponsorship letter from the inviting Indian company, a dispatch letter from the applicant’s current employer, the employer’s proforma details, the applicant’s Hukou document, and a thorough resume are among the required documents that must be submitted with the application. Only certified copies of documents uploaded in English will be accepted, according to Embassy regulations.

Regardless of the length of their visa, all holders of e-B-4 visas must electronically register with the relevant Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 14 days of their arrival in India. For the categories covered by the Production Investment Business e-Visa (e-B-4), the Embassy no longer issues paper visas.

In keeping with India’s shift to a fully digital visa framework, all applications for Production Investment Business travel to India must henceforth only be processed via the electronic visa system.