India has taken up the issue of business visa difficulties faced by Indian companies with the Chinese government as part of efforts to work towards greater normalisation of ties between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.
“India-China ties are gradually moving in a positive direction. The ties are very important. When we talk of people-to-people ties or normalisation of people-to-people ties, we also talk about visa issues. They also help in promoting people-to-people ties between the two countries,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said while addressing the media on Tuesday.
In recent months, Indian companies have faced significant difficulties in obtaining Chinese business visas for executives, engineers, technical specialists and sales and management teams. Some companies have been compelled to hold meetings with their Chinese counterparts in third countries such as Singapore.
Industry body ASSOCHAM has also written to the MEA urging the government to resolve the visa-related issues through bilateral discussions with Beijing. The industry body has flagged that the visa curbs are affecting the movement of technology and disrupting supply chains, with knock-on effects on Indian manufacturing.
The visa restrictions have emerged as a potential roadblock at a time when India has begun easing investment norms for Chinese companies. Following the relaxation of Press Note 3 provisions, Indian businesses are looking to attract more Chinese investment, with non-controlling stakes of up to 10% eligible for the automatic approval route and a fast-tracked 60-day approval window introduced for investments in critical manufacturing sectors.
The visa issue has become particularly relevant for Indian companies that depend on Chinese technology, equipment, components and technical expertise.
Relations between India and China deteriorated sharply after the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, which was followed by a prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control. India subsequently tightened scrutiny of Chinese investments by bringing investments from countries sharing a land border with India under the government approval route through Press Note 3.
India also imposed visa restrictions on Chinese nationals, with limited exceptions, including technical personnel working with Indian companies covered under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.
Despite the geopolitical tensions, several large Indian companies across sectors, including electronics, machinery and technology, continue to have business partnerships and supply-chain linkages with Chinese companies.
The latest discussions on business visas come amid broader efforts by the two countries to gradually restore economic and people-to-people ties.
