The government has created a new category of visas “Production Investment Visa” to enable Indian companies to engage foreign nationals for production related activities.
The new visa category – e-B-4 Visa – has been created under the Business Visa and subsumes e-Production Linked Investment (PLI) visa but expands the scope of activities for which foreign professionals can be brought in. e-PLI visa has been discontinued.
Expanding the Horizon
Under e-PLI visa foreign nationals could come to India for installation and commissioning of equipment, Under Production Investment Visa, foreign specialists, engineers and technical people can be brought in for installation and commissioning, quality checks, essential maintenance, production, IT and ERP Ramp-up.
The new visa also covers activities like training, supply chain development for empaneling vendors and plant design. Senior management and executives will also be allowed under the new visa for production investment activities.
Processes have been streamlined with simpler forms and recommendation requirements of the Line Ministry or ministry that administers the industry sector have been done away with.
Digital Integration
Production Investment Visa will be issued as an e-visa and has to be applied for in the online Visa portal. Further, to facilitate the Visa application process for e-B-4 visa, Indian companies will have to generate sponsorship letters digitally.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched an online module for Indian companies to generate sponsorship letters under the new visa, a statement by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said.
For enabling facilitation digitally, DPIIT had launched the e-Production Investment Business registration module on the National Single Window System (NSWS) which can be availed by PLI as well as non-PLI businesses.
