Travel Checklist

(This checklist will be updated with more detailed info over the next few months.)

VISA. All non-Indian-citizens are required to have an Indian visa to enter the country. Please allow yourself sufficient time (say 2-3 weeks) to procure an appropriate visa from your nearest Indian consulate. There are several Indian consulates worldwide. Indian consulates in the continental US are located in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco. An online copy of the application form for Indian visa is available.
If you are a participant in this workshop, you are advised to state the purpose of your visit as "Attending a Conference". We have obtained an approval for conducting this workshop from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA); it is for this purpose that we had asked the participants to supply us some information about their passports etc. If required by the consulate to which you are applying for your visa, we can fax you or the consulate a copy of this letter. In practice, a letter of invitation might suffice; please feel free to send an email to Anurag Kumar who will then fax you a letter. Please mention your full name, affiliation and address.
Flight Reservations. We recommend that you make your flight reservations well in advance, to be on the safe side. We strongly recommend that you avoid arriving in New Delhi or taking flights that stop in New Delhi en-route to Mumbai (Bombay) or Chennai (Madras) -- winter fog often throws air-traffic off-gear in New Delhi. For more information, including about domestic flights within India, check here.
Vaccinations (shots). Many first-time travelers to India prefer to get preventive vaccinations (shots). The Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India has some more health tips for tourists.
Foreign Exchange. While international credit cards are widely accepted in commercial establishments in India, several places rely on cash transactions in the local currency (Indian Rupee). We suggest that you either carry some Indian currency when entering India or buy Indian currency at the currency exchange agencies in the Indian airports, upon arrival.. The current exchange rate is about Rs. 49/- per US dollar. Once in India, you can buy additional Indian currency from local branches of Citibank, Thomas Cook, etc. However, it is typically difficult to convert Indian currency back into foreign currency because of exchange regulations.
Hotel Reservations. Please make your hotel reservations ahead of time so that you get your choice of accommodation.