Govt mulls streamlining visa process for Chinese technicians

New Delhi: The government is considering further streamlining of processes for timely approval of visas for Chinese professionals and technicians whose expertise is required by the Indian industry to set up manufacturing capacity, a senior official said.

Certain Indian industry players have approached the government stating that they are facing problems in getting visas for Chinese professionals whose expertise is required for things like setting up machines in factories. The government has recently put in place a standard operating procedure (SOP) for streamlining visa approvals for Chinese technicians whose expertise is required by vendors under the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme. “Now we may be liberalising it for others. That process is on and a Cabinet note is under preparation. Within the existing system, there is an SOP now to expedite visas for Chinese who are to come in to help set up manufacturing capacity in India. We have already streamlined it quite a bit, now we are trying to see whether it could be done for them,” the government official, who did not not wish to be named, said.