The first batch of passengers taking the resumed China-India direct flight after a five-year hiatus check in their luggage and prepare to depart for Guangzhou on October 26, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of Indigo

India has recently introduced a type of new e-Business visa for Chinese nationals, known as the e-B-4 Visa, to facilitate specific business activities such as equipment installation and commissioning. Hailed by Indian media on Tuesday as a people-centric move to reset bilateral ties amid recent diplomatic thawing, the online visa - effective January 1 - allows a stay of up to six months but takes around 45-50 days to process. 

Chinese observers welcomed the move but also argued that it may still be insufficient for genuine people-to-people exchanges due to the lengthy processing time, urging more practical openness measures. 

Indian media The Hindu reported Tuesday that a latest advisory on the Indian Embassy website in Beijing said the e-B-4 Visa, which was introduced on January 1, can be applied online without visiting the embassy or agents.

The visa can be applied for installation and commissioning, quality check and essential maintenance, production, IT and ERP ramp-up, training, supply chain development for empaneling vendors, plant design and bring-up, senior management and executives, according to the advisory.

The report also underscored that "India and China have, in recent months, agreed on several people-centric steps to reset their ties."

Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that India's recent launch of the e-B-4 Visa, or the e-Production Investment Business Visa for Chinese nationals can be seen as another positive step in interactions between China and India in the field of economic and trade relations. It sends a positive signal from the Modi government regarding its active promotion of the normalization of Chinese-Indian economic, trade cooperation, and personnel exchanges, and is worthy of welcome, said the expert.

However, Qian noted if it is treated merely as a technical patch rather than a strategic adjustment, its driving effect on medium- to long-term bilateral cooperation may remain limited. The actual release of policy benefits will still depend on the follow-up of supporting measures. Particularly in today's era, where economic activities and market demands change rapidly, time equates to efficiency and money. The some 50-day processing period for this visa is still excessively long, he said. 

According to the advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in China, mandatory supporting documents for the e-B-4 visa online application includes sponsorship letter of the inviting Indian company, proforma details of the applicant's current employer and Hukou document as well as resume of the applicant. 

The advisory also reads that all these certified copies of supporting documents should be in English only and upon arrival in India on e-B-4 visa, the applicants shall register electronically with concerned FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) within 14 days of arrival irrespective of the duration of visa. 

On December 12, 2025, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China is willing to maintain communication and consultation with India to steadily facilitate exchanges between the two sides, after media reports said that India has cut red tape to speed business visas for Chinese professionals.

"We have noted this positive step. Facilitating exchange of persons serves the common interests of all parties," Guo said.

In October 2025, China-India direct air services, which had been on a five-year hiatus, officially resumed, drawing welcome from travelers, business groups and companies from both countries.

Later on November 22, 2025, Indian media reported that in order to promote the normalization of India-China relations, the Indian government has fully resumed the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese citizens.

Hu Zhiyong, a professor from Zhejiang International Studies University and also research fellow at the Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that as time consuming as the process it is, India's new e-B-4 Visa for Chinese nationals could be more of a symbolic move than a concrete one in facilitating exchange, while calling for more practical openness on Indian side.