'S Africa an important country for India'

With South Africa not among the countries given visa on arrival facility, India has said that it has not been excluded for any specific reason and the service will be expanded to accommodate other nations as well.
Calling South Africa an important country for India, Indian High Commissioner Ruchi Ghanashyam said, "The visa on arrival programme is a very ambitious programme. It is not that South Africa or any other country is excluded. It is a service that we started by offering to a few countries and as we are gaining in confidence in implementing it; learning our lessons from it; we will be expanding the service to other countries."

"We aim to expand it to 150 countries. We have to wait before we draw a conclusion that South Africa is excluded. There is no way that South Africa can be excluded from anything that India is thinking of doing, because South Africa is far too important a country for India in more ways than one," Ghanashyam said at an Indian Tourism Seminar here.
The seminar was aimed at gaining support from travel agents and travel media for greater tourist numbers from South Africa.
Commenting on a recent announcement by South African Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba that the visa regime is to be relaxed for business visitors from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, Ghanashyam said it was a very welcome development.

"I think the South African government is taking a number of steps to make it easier for people to get their visas and this BRICS multiple entry visa is definitely one of those steps. It will make travel of our businessmen to South Africa much easier," she said.