India has quietly dismantled the thicket of red-tape that has blocked Chinese technicians and engineers from entering the country since deadly border clashes in 2020. A government notification published late on 17 December—and confirmed to Reuters the following morning—launches a single online portal through which Indian companies can generate sponsorship letters, upload supporting documents and track approvals in real time. Crucially, ministries that once had to sign off on every Chinese applicant—defence, home affairs and external affairs—have been taken out of the loop for short-term technical visas.
Electronics, solar-panel and heavy-machinery plants across India rely on Chinese specialists to install, commission and maintain production lines sourced from mainland suppliers such as Foxconn Industrial Internet, LONGi and Trina Solar. The Observer Research Foundation estimates visa bottlenecks cost Indian factories roughly US $15 billion in lost output between 2021 and 2024. Under the new rules, qualified foreign technicians can now obtain a 180-day multiple-entry visa in as little as 5 working days, down from an average of 45.
Companies that prefer to outsource the application process can tap into VisaHQ’s streamlined service, which integrates with India’s new portal to prepare sponsorship letters, validate supporting documents and track approvals on behalf of Chinese travellers. More details on how VisaHQ can help are available at https://www.visahq.com/china/.
![India Fast-Tracks Business Visas, Opening the Door for Hundreds of Stalled Chinese Engineers]()
The thaw follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile visit to Beijing in October—his first since 2018—where both leaders pledged to insulate economic cooperation from lingering territorial disputes. Indian officials frame the move as pragmatic: with U.S. tariffs squeezing Chinese exports, Beijing is keen to keep component supply lines to India open, while New Delhi needs foreign know-how to hit its ‘Make in India 2030’ manufacturing goals.
For Chinese multinationals, the change removes a major operational headache. Xiaomi, which assembles 80 % of its smartphones in India, said it would immediately deploy 120 installation engineers to expand its Chennai plant. Solar-glass producer Xinyi, which has a US $700 million line under construction in Gujarat, forecast savings of US $50 million in overtime and demurrage costs next year because specialists will be able to fly in on schedule.
Mobility managers should update travel policies to reflect the simpler paperwork but still budget extra lead time for background checks at Indian airports. Companies are also advised to maintain local HR records in case authorities conduct random compliance audits under India’s Foreigners Act.
Electronics, solar-panel and heavy-machinery plants across India rely on Chinese specialists to install, commission and maintain production lines sourced from mainland suppliers such as Foxconn Industrial Internet, LONGi and Trina Solar. The Observer Research Foundation estimates visa bottlenecks cost Indian factories roughly US $15 billion in lost output between 2021 and 2024. Under the new rules, qualified foreign technicians can now obtain a 180-day multiple-entry visa in as little as 5 working days, down from an average of 45.
Companies that prefer to outsource the application process can tap into VisaHQ’s streamlined service, which integrates with India’s new portal to prepare sponsorship letters, validate supporting documents and track approvals on behalf of Chinese travellers. More details on how VisaHQ can help are available at https://www.visahq.com/china/.
The thaw follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile visit to Beijing in October—his first since 2018—where both leaders pledged to insulate economic cooperation from lingering territorial disputes. Indian officials frame the move as pragmatic: with U.S. tariffs squeezing Chinese exports, Beijing is keen to keep component supply lines to India open, while New Delhi needs foreign know-how to hit its ‘Make in India 2030’ manufacturing goals.
For Chinese multinationals, the change removes a major operational headache. Xiaomi, which assembles 80 % of its smartphones in India, said it would immediately deploy 120 installation engineers to expand its Chennai plant. Solar-glass producer Xinyi, which has a US $700 million line under construction in Gujarat, forecast savings of US $50 million in overtime and demurrage costs next year because specialists will be able to fly in on schedule.
Mobility managers should update travel policies to reflect the simpler paperwork but still budget extra lead time for background checks at Indian airports. Companies are also advised to maintain local HR records in case authorities conduct random compliance audits under India’s Foreigners Act.
