Finally, E-visas available for India – great news for Americans but not yet available for Canadians…

Happily the long awaited news that visas for visiting India can now be obtained online has finally been announced. And while online visas can now be obtained for visitors from 45 countries, including those holding American passports, unfortunately Canada is not on the list. So great news for Americans, while Canadians must hope that we will be added in phase 2 of the online visa processing roll-out…

For more details please visit the following link… https://indianvisaonline.gov.in


					

AirAsia India set to launch…

After a nine-month-long wait and legal hurdles, the new airline AirAsia India has just been granted its license to operate flights in India with it’s official launch for low cost flights within the country planned for three months from now.

“We have granted the Air Operator’s Permit (AOP or flying licence) to AirAsia India, subject to the final decision of the High Court and that is, under the directions of the Supreme Court,” DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar told PTI here. 
The airline’s parent company, Malaysian carrier AirAsia’s CEO Tony Fernandes tweeted: “History has been made today in Aviation. Everything has been hard for Airasia but we never give up. Today Airasia India has got APPROVAL.”

AirAsia India, whose top officials have promised to offer low and competitive airfares, would have Chennai as its hub and would focus on connecting Tier-II cities to begin with, including Trichy, Kochi and Kolkata.

Good News for Travellers to India!!

In an significant development, the Government of India on Wednesday cleared two initiatives, visa on arrival and electronic travel authorization for travelers originating from almost anywhere on the globe. For all those travellers who have had the unique pleasure of attending their local visa office in North America and spending a good portion of their day standing in line waiting to submit their visa application documents – only to then be refused for the most minor of errors (photo on the wrong kind of paper or with the wrong background, not enough of the should ers in the photograph, too much of the shoulders in the photograph, minor typo on the form, etc., etc…)

To be implemented from early October 2014, the electronic travel authorization process will allow foreign travelers to apply for a visa from home and receive an online confirmation in five working days, and to then obtain their actual visa upon their arrival at the airport in India. And this visa-on-arrival with electronic travel authorization will be available to citizens of 180 countries (including Canada and the USA) and will be implemented initially at nine airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Goa and Trivandrum.

Only in India…

For all those who adore travelling in India, and enjoying its tremendous depth of rich culture, history and diversity, and also get a kick out of the country’s unique, and sometimes idiosyncratic and bizarre approach to formality with all its pomp and circumstance, do take a look at this video. It is a great 2 minute clip of the daily ritual closing of the border between India and Pakistan… enjoy!

http://www.wimp.com/indiapakistan/