By Mewati Sitaram
The Government of India is contemplating further simplification of procedures to ensure the prompt approval of visas for Chinese professionals and technicians essential to the Indian industry for establishing manufacturing capabilities, revealed a senior official reports PTI.
Certain entities within the Indian industry have communicated to the government about encountering challenges in obtaining visas for Chinese professionals, crucial for tasks like installing machinery in factories.
A standard operating procedure (SOP) has been recently introduced by the government of India to streamline visa approvals for Chinese technicians involved in projects under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
The official, preferring anonymity, stated, “Now we may be liberalizing it for others. That process is ongoing, and a Cabinet note is under preparation. Within the existing system, there is an SOP now to expedite visas for Chinese professionals who are coming to assist in setting 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.”
However, industry representatives have highlighted a challenge concerning Indian authorities requiring a university qualification certificate for Chinese professionals.
The industry official emphasized that experts might not possess such documents as their expertise is gained through years of practical experience. The industry is urging Indian authorities to facilitate the visa approval process for Chinese professionals, especially for tasks like machine installation, enhancing quality, and boosting productivity in manufacturing lines.
The PLI scheme, launched in 2021, spans 14 sectors, including telecommunications, white goods, textiles, medical device manufacturing, automobiles, speciality steel, food products, high-efficiency solar PV modules, advanced chemistry cell batteries, drones, and pharmaceuticals, with a total outlay of USD 25 billion (₹1.97 lakh crore).
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
