India introduces e-B-4 visa to ease business travel for Chinese nationals

Beijing, Jan 5: India has introduced an e-Production Investment Business Visa called e-B-4 Visa that Chinese businessmen can apply for to travel to India for specific business activities, including installation and commissioning of equipment.

A latest advisory on the Indian Embassy website, on Monday, said the e-B-4 Visa, which was introduced on January 1, can be applied for online without visiting the embassy or agents.

The new visa is introduced in view of the growing demand for business visas to travel to India. It will be issued in about 45 to 50 days, with permission to stay in India for up to six months.

The visa can be applied for installation and commissioning, quality check and essential maintenance, production, IT and ERP ramp-up, training, supply chain development for empanelling vendors, plant design and bring-up, senior management and executives, according to the advisory.

The Indian companies desirous of inviting Chinese nationals for activities on e-B-4 Visa can also apply by registering on DPIIT's NSWS (National Single Window System) portal at https://www.nsws.gov.in/ under the tab 'Login-Business User Login'.

Applicants can submit an application for an e-B-4 Visa online on the portal https://indianvisaonline.gov.in under the tab'For e-Visa by Bureau of Immigration, apply along with mandatory supporting documents, it said.

The introduction of the e-B-4 Visa comes against the backdrop of renewed diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Beijing.

In recent months, the two countries have agreed on several people-centric measures aimed at resetting ties after a prolonged period of strain.

During talks on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping committed to working towards a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable” resolution of the boundary issue.

The leaders had acknowledged the role of their economies in stabilising global trade, a message that gained significance amid broader economic turbulence triggered by tariff disputes involving the United States.

Modi had also invited Xi to the BRICS summit in 2026, which India will host, an invitation the Chinese President accepted while offering Beijing’s support for India’s BRICS presidency, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

PTI