India clears path for China businesses

Visa approval to take less than a month, in bid to lure foreign investors amid US sanctions

- NIKUNJ OHRI SHIVANGI ACHARYA

China's Premier Li Qiang (left) talks with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro in July.

India has cut red tape to speed business visas for Chinese professionals, two officials said, a major step to boost ties between the Asian giants and end chronic delays that cost output worth billions of dollars because of scarce technicians.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautiously rekindles ties with Beijing in the face of punishing US tariffs, the officials said New Delhi dropped a layer of bureaucratic scrutiny and shortened visa approval times to less than a month.

Reuters is the first to report the development.

India had blocked virtually all Chinese visits after the nuclear-armed neighbours clashed on their Himalayan frontier in mid-2020, widening its vetting of business visas beyond the home and foreign ministries.

The issues around securing visas have now been completely resolved, said one of the officials with knowledge of the matter, who both spoke on condition of anonymity.