American technology investor Raymond Russell has triggered a debate about India’s flagship e-Visa platform after calling the site “comically, profoundly, embarrassingly broken” in a LinkedIn post that went viral overnight. Russell, who funds frontier-tech start-ups in Bengaluru and Silicon Valley, said the portal repeatedly crashed, demanded a decade-long travel history and even displayed trivia about India’s highest peaks mid-application. His conclusion: “If you can survive the e-visa process, you’ll be fine in India.”
Hundreds of foreign entrepreneurs and non-resident Indians echoed the complaints, citing random log-outs and failed card payments—problems long flagged by tour operators. Under India’s Immigration and Foreigners Act rules, most short-term business travellers must use the online system; physical visa appointments are now limited in many consulates. The backlash comes at an awkward time: India processed a record 5 million e-Visas in FY 2024-25 and plans to expand categories for MICE and medical travel next quarter.
![‘Comically Broken’: US Investor’s Viral Rant Puts Indian e-Visa Portal Under Spotlight]()
Officials at the Bureau of Immigration say a tender to overhaul the portal was awarded to NIC and Tata Elxsi in August, with a beta version due in March 2026. Until then, the government is adding autosave, multiple-currency gateways and a live-chat helpline. Travel industry bodies want stress-testing before next year’s high season, warning that user frustration could push high-value visitors to rival hubs in Southeast Asia.
For corporates, the lesson is to budget extra time for group applications and consider paid facilitation services when deadlines are tight. Large IT exporters told Global Mobility News they have begun training travel desks in ‘session capture’ tools to avoid data loss during outages. The episode underlines how a digital gateway can shape perceptions of the wider business environment.
Hundreds of foreign entrepreneurs and non-resident Indians echoed the complaints, citing random log-outs and failed card payments—problems long flagged by tour operators. Under India’s Immigration and Foreigners Act rules, most short-term business travellers must use the online system; physical visa appointments are now limited in many consulates. The backlash comes at an awkward time: India processed a record 5 million e-Visas in FY 2024-25 and plans to expand categories for MICE and medical travel next quarter.
Officials at the Bureau of Immigration say a tender to overhaul the portal was awarded to NIC and Tata Elxsi in August, with a beta version due in March 2026. Until then, the government is adding autosave, multiple-currency gateways and a live-chat helpline. Travel industry bodies want stress-testing before next year’s high season, warning that user frustration could push high-value visitors to rival hubs in Southeast Asia.
For corporates, the lesson is to budget extra time for group applications and consider paid facilitation services when deadlines are tight. Large IT exporters told Global Mobility News they have begun training travel desks in ‘session capture’ tools to avoid data loss during outages. The episode underlines how a digital gateway can shape perceptions of the wider business environment.
