India officially launches e-B-4 business visa for Chinese citizens

       On 6 January local time the Indian Embassy in China announced that, with effect from 1 January, New Delhi is issuing an electronic production-investment business visa (e-B-4) to Chinese nationals. Applicants can complete the entire process online; no visit to the embassy or visa agent is required. Processing takes about 45-50 days and the visa allows stays of up to six months for activities such as equipment installation and commissioning, quality inspection, production operations, IT/ERP upgrades, training, supply-chain set-up, factory design and senior management visits.

How it works

• Indian firms invite Chinese citizens by filing on the National Single Window System (NSWS) run by the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT).

• Chinese applicants then apply on India’s official e-visa portal and upload supporting documents.

       Qian Feng, researcher at Tsinghua University’s National Strategy Institute, calls the move “another positive step in China-India economic interaction, signalling the Modi government’s willingness to normalise business exchanges.” After the 2024 Kazan summit bilateral ties have warmed steadily; the new visa meets a concrete need for Chinese technicians to install and calibrate machinery in India. “It eases a pain-point for Chinese investors and gives both sides a more flexible channel for industrial co-operation,” Qian says.

       Indian media estimate that skill shortages in electronics alone have cost India about USD 15 billion in recent years. Still, Qian warns that a 45-50-day processing time is “too long when market demand can change overnight. Delhi has done well—but not enough.”

Tourist-visa gap rule
       Tourism visas were fully restored in November 2025. Beijing’s missions remind travellers that India requires a two-month gap between two tourist-visa entries—even though this condition is not printed on the visa. Several Chinese visitors were refused entry and sent back this month because their return fell within the 60-day window.

Emergency contact numbers (24 h)
Global Consular Hotline: +86-10-12308 / +86-10-65612308
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Consulate-General Kolkata: +91-9163390711
Consulate-General Mumbai: +91-9769581336