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
Embassy in India: +91-11-26112343
Consulate-General Kolkata: +91-9163390711
Consulate-General Mumbai: +91-9769581336