New Delhi: India is expected to expedite the issuance of visas for Chinese technicians to address delays in manufacturing units, which have impacted investments worth billions of dollars, according to three government officials.
Following clashes on their Himalayan border in mid-2020, India had blocked nearly all Chinese visitors and investments. However, the country is now reconsidering its stance on visas due to the accumulating losses. The initiative to accelerate visa approvals is supported by the trade ministry and is being considered positively by the foreign ministry, despite initial reservations about the four-year freeze in relations with China, an official stated.
India received nearly 1,600 visa applications for Chinese technicians between last November and April this year, a government official disclosed.
A new fast-track portal will be established to reduce visa approval times to less than a month, from the current duration of a year, one official mentioned. The visa would allow Chinese technicians to stay for up to six months, another official added.
Domestic industry representatives and government officials urged the foreign ministry to revisit the issue, as the delays have posed challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal of boosting local manufacturing, another official noted.
The officials requested anonymity as the decision has not yet been made public. The trade, home, and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
According to an industry estimate, the reluctance to approve visas has resulted in production losses of $15 billion in the electronics manufacturing sector alone over the past four years. Technicians are required to operate Chinese-made machinery installed in Indian high-tech manufacturing units across various industries, including telecom, steel products, and solar panels.
In response to the 2020 border clashes, India increased scrutiny of Chinese investments, halted planned projects, and shut down Chinese mobile apps.
The officials indicated that faster business visas will be issued for technicians needed to operate Chinese-made machines in Indian factories within 14 sectors covered by a $24-billion scheme to enhance the production of high-tech electronics, among other items.
