NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced an online portal aimed at expediting visas for technicians involved in Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, particularly benefiting Chinese vendors. This initiative seeks to reduce the visa processing time from 4-5 months to just 30 days, addressing delays that impact domestic manufacturing firms.

An official stated that this online portal has been operational for about a week, designed to streamline the visa approval process for technicians, especially from China.

"We have established an online portal to fast-track visas for technicians in PLI sectors, including those from Chinese vendors," the official said. According to a government source, a meeting was held with stakeholders to explain the workings of the new portal. The goal is to cut the visa processing time from the current 4-5 months to within 30 days, as per sources familiar with the discussions.

In recent years, the process of obtaining visa approvals for Chinese ventures and expert personnel has become more stringent, requiring prior approval from the Indian central government. Typically, these experts need visas for 3-6 months.

This move is significant as several domestic manufacturing firms have highlighted the issue of delays in obtaining visas for Chinese technicians, who are essential for tasks such as installing or repairing machinery and training workers in India.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) worked with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs to develop this framework, aimed at speeding up visas for engineers and technicians needed for installing Chinese-made machinery in Indian factories.

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