Amid crisis-driven route suspensions elsewhere, IndiGo unveiled expansion plans on 3 March 2026, announcing daily non-stop flights between Kolkata (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport) and Shanghai Pudong from 29 March. The A320-operated route will depart Kolkata at 21:45 and arrive in Shanghai at 04:40 local time, returning at 05:40 and touching down in Kolkata at 09:05. The move restores a critical business corridor that had been severed since early 2020. China remains West Bengal’s second-largest trading partner, with bilateral commerce topping US $4.2 billion in FY 2025–26. Direct connectivity is expected to slash door-to-door journey times by up to six hours compared with one-stop options via Bangkok or Singapore, making same-week business trips feasible again for tech exporters, tea merchants and garment suppliers.
![IndiGo to connect Kolkata and Shanghai with daily non-stop service from 29 March; announcement made on 3 March]()
For travellers who need help navigating the still-complex visa landscape, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can arrange consulate appointments, pre-check documentation and track application status, smoothing the process for China business visas and many other destinations.
For corporate mobility teams the new service offers a valuable alternative at a time when Delhi–Shanghai capacity is constrained and fares volatile. It also diversifies India’s China links beyond traditional Delhi and Mumbai gateways, easing pressure on those hubs once Gulf detours end. IndiGo said bookings are open across its distribution channels and that introductory return fares start around ₹36,000. The airline has requested cargo capacity allocations, signalling intent to carry high-value and time-sensitive shipments such as pharmaceutical ingredients and precision-engineering components. Travel-risk consultants remind employers that China still requires visa appointments (now available at VACs in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata) and that health-declaration QR codes remain mandatory on arrival. Companies should budget two weeks for business-visa processing until appointment backlogs clear.
For travellers who need help navigating the still-complex visa landscape, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can arrange consulate appointments, pre-check documentation and track application status, smoothing the process for China business visas and many other destinations.
For corporate mobility teams the new service offers a valuable alternative at a time when Delhi–Shanghai capacity is constrained and fares volatile. It also diversifies India’s China links beyond traditional Delhi and Mumbai gateways, easing pressure on those hubs once Gulf detours end. IndiGo said bookings are open across its distribution channels and that introductory return fares start around ₹36,000. The airline has requested cargo capacity allocations, signalling intent to carry high-value and time-sensitive shipments such as pharmaceutical ingredients and precision-engineering components. Travel-risk consultants remind employers that China still requires visa appointments (now available at VACs in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata) and that health-declaration QR codes remain mandatory on arrival. Companies should budget two weeks for business-visa processing until appointment backlogs clear.
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