DPIIT Introduces Digital System For e-B-4 Production Investment Business Visas

New Delhi, Dec 18 (KNN) The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched an online module enabling Indian companies to generate sponsorship letters for inviting foreign professionals under the e-Production Investment Business Visa (e-B-4 Visa).

Key Reform Under Business Visa Framework
Two activities earlier covered under employment visas, foreign nationals visiting India for installation and commissioning of equipment as part of supply contracts, and cases where Indian companies pay fees or royalties, have now been brought under the business visa regime.

A new sub-category titled Production Investment Visa (B-4 Visa) has been introduced under the Business Visa framework. It enables Indian companies to seamlessly engage foreign subject matter specialists for production-linked activities. 

These cover installation and commissioning, quality and maintenance, production, IT and enterprise resource planning ramp-up, training, supply chain and vendor development, plant design and commissioning, and senior management visits.

With this change, the earlier e-PLI business visa has been dispensed with, and relevant chapters of the Visa Manual, 2019 have been amended accordingly.

Digital Sponsorship Letters via NSWS
Under the new system, the Production Investment Visa is issued as an e-visa and must be applied for through the e-Production Investment Business Registration Module on the National Single Window System (NSWS). 

The module can be used by both PLI and non-PLI companies to digitally generate sponsorship letters required for e-B-4 visa applications.

The new module simplifies forms, removes the need for line ministry approvals, and uses automatic data population and authentication via Ministry of Corporate Affairs and GSTN databases.

Indian companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) can now instantly generate sponsorship letters on NSWS.

Each sponsorship letter generated through the module carries a unique ID, which foreign professionals must reference while applying for the visa on the e-Visa portal. 

The e-Visa system has been integrated with NSWS through Application programming interfaces, enabling a seamless and efficient application process.

(KNN Bureau)