New Delhi, Dec. 19 -- Foreign professionals, including Chinese experts, needed for production-related activities in India, will now get visas easily and expeditiously through an integrated portal after their Indian sponsors generate sponsorship invites online, a senior government official said. The integrated online facility will issue the e-Production Investment Business Visa (e-B-4 Visa). The portal will seamlessly connect three key ministries - industry, home and external affairs to facilitate issuance of the visa, the official said. The system is now open for such visa applications, the official, working in the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT), said, asking not to be named. DPIIT, an arm of the commerce and industry ministry, is coordinating with the industry to facilitate their manufacturing activities that often require specialists. "The easier visa system for foreign professionals will secure visas for such applicants for at least one month and maximum for six months. While this facility was earlier limited to only for companies selected under the production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, the government has now opened this window for all companies from November 29," the official said. So far, 129 companies have applied for sponsoring different specialists through this system by giving specific details of each individual. Once company-specific applications are approved, specialists named in the approval sponsorship letters can apply for the visa. A statement of the ministry of commerce and industry confirmed the development: "The launch of this digital platform is a part of a series of reforms that the Government of India has instituted under the business visa regime for improving the ease of doing business in India." For enabling this facilitation digitally, DPIIT had launched the e-Production Investment Business registration module on the National Single Window System on November 29, which can be availed by all businesses. Further, a new sub-category of "Production Investment Visa" has been created under the business visa regime and called the "B-4 Visa" for enabling foreign subject matter specialists, or engineers, or technical people being engaged by Indian companies under the following categories -- installation and commissioning; quality check and essential maintenance; production; IT and ERP ramp-up; training; supply chain development for empaneling vendors, plant design and bring-up; and senior management and executives to visit India for such production investment activities seamlessly, it said....