Special Online Portal to Fast Track PLI Visas Kick-Started by MHA: Sources

New Delhi [India], August 7 : A special online portal to fast-track visas for Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes has been kick-started by the Ministry of Home Affairs, a government official told ANI.
The official mentioned that the online portal to fast-track PLI visas has been operational for about a week. The aim of this special initiative is to ensure smoother approvals of visas for technicians, mostly from China.
"We have set up an online portal to fast-track visas for technicians in PLI sectors, including for Chinese vendors," said the official. According to a government source, a meeting was also held with stakeholders to sensitize them on the workings of the online portal to fast-track PLI visas. The objective is to shorten the visa processing time from the current 4-5 months to within 30 days, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Over the years, the visa approval process for Chinese ventures and Chinese expert personnel has become more rigorous, requiring prior approval from the Indian central government. Normally, these experts require a visa for 3-6 months.
The move assumes significance as some domestic manufacturing firms have flagged the issue of delays in getting visas for Chinese technicians, who are needed for tasks such as the installation or repair of certain machines, and training workers in India.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) collaborated with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs to create this framework that will expedite visas for engineers and technicians required for installing Chinese-made machinery in Indian factories.