India Launches e-B-4 Business Visa for Chinese Professionals

The Government of India has also introduced a new category of electronic visa called e-B-4 Production Investment Business Visa which is developed to allow the Chinese nationals to carry out certain industrial and commercial activities in the nation. 

The visa is announced through an advisory of the Indian Embassy in Beijing on January 1, 2026, and it allows applying online in full, without visiting embassies or using intermediaries. 

It will serve the ancient requests of Indian businesses to have easier access to foreign technical skills, especially in the fields that are in line with the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program and the overall investment plans.

This progress is in line with the continuous attempts of balancing bilateral economic activity between China and India, after the lapses of diplomatic strife. The visa allows stays of up to six months and is done in 45 to 50 days, which is a fast track to the former employment visa requirements which usually entailed lengthy approvals.

Extensive Visa Specifications and Authorized Operations

The e-B-4 visa is aimed at project-specific, time-limited operations necessitating the continuity of operations in the manufacturing sphere and other industries. Based on the embassy advisory, eligible tasks include a list of comprehensive hands-on contributions:

• Installation, commissioning and quality assessment of manufacturing equipment.

• Much-needed maintenance and production support services.

• Introducing and upgrading IT systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning software (ERP).

• Developing the workforces locally through training to develop operational capacities.

• Supply chain development such as vendor empanelment and sourcing.

• Commissioning, engineering and plant design.

• Strategy visits to the site by top management and executives.

The above activities will assist Indian companies in industries like electronics, renewable energy, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals where foreign companies can use the expertise to bring about projects on schedule as well as improving the efficiency.

Application Process 

Application is a process that consists of the liaison between foreign applicants and Indian sponsoring companies. The Indian organizations have to submit applications in the National Single Window System portal of the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) nsws.gov.in. 

Companies create a digital version of a sponsorship letter using the 'Business User Login' option and this is a major supporting document.

Chinese professionals access the e-Visa portal of the Bureau of Immigration at the indianvisaonline.gov.in portal. They choose the e-Visa alternative, go to e-Business and select the e-B-4 sub-category. 

To upload, one will be required to have the NSWS sponsorship letter, passport (valid not less than six months), evidence of intention (contract or invitation) and other usual documents. On entry to India, biometric enrolment takes place and one has to undergo mandatory e-registration with the Foreigners Regional registration office (FRRO) within 14 days.

It is an end-to-end digital procedure that removes physical submissions and third party agents in line with the greater agenda of India towards paperless governance in immigration services.

Two-Sided Effects

The e-B-4 visa is one of the indications of the pragmatic approach to the relations between India and China, as it focuses on the people-centric approach, which has been agreed to during the recent diplomatic debates. 

It is based on reforms proposed in a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) circular of August 2025, which re-categorises some activities related to production in business visas to eliminate administrative bottlenecks.