India launches e-Visa for Chinese nationals to boost tourism

India on Thursday launched its e-Tourist visa facility for Chinese nationals for the first time, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the move would deepen connectivity between the neighbours.

Starting July 30, Chinese nationals will be able to arrive at nine Indian airports after applying for tourist visas online. The e-Tourist visa application, which will cost US$ 60, would be processed within four days, Indian officials said.

Announcing the move on Chinese Twitter equivalent Sina Weibo, Prime Minister Modi wrote to his 1.76 lakh followers in a message posted in Chinese: "I am delighted to share that the e-Tourist Visa is now available to passport holders of China. I had talked about this during my China visit, and the Government of India has fulfilled this promise."

The hope is that the move will boost Chinese tourist inflows, which have remained low. Chinese travel agencies had, in the past, attributed the low numbers to difficult visa procedures, which required Chinese to apply in person at visa centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou as well as deposit 10,000 RMB (Rs. 1 lakh) as a financial guarantee.

While Chinese outbound tourism has soared in the past decade - more than 100 million Chinese travel overseas every year, spending in excess of $ 100 billion - visits to India have remained low. For instance, while around 1.7 lakh Chinese visit India annually for tourism and business - tourists contribute to less than half that number - more than 3 lakh Chinese visit the Maldives.

Modi had first announced the government's decision to grant the e-Tourist visa facility, which has been open to more than 70 countries, during his visit to China in May. The decision at the time came as a surprise - even to Chinese officials - as India's security agencies had expressed concern over the measure and since China had, at the time, ruled out reciprocating the gesture.

Modi said the move would boost connectivity between the neighbours. "This will deepen connectivity between our nations," he wrote on Weibo. "Come, experience the beauty of Incredible India!"

The Indian Embassy said in a statement the e-visa would allow Chinese, including from the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions of China, to travel to India "with ease for recreation, sight-seeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short-duration medical treatment or casual business visit".