India's tough visa policy upsets Russia

A recent decision by the Home Ministry to get tough on visas for foreign workers was meant to target the thousands of unskilled Chinese workers who came on business visas, but the move has hit other countries as well.

Sources say that Russia is especially upset since thousands of Russian workers come to India and the Ministry of External Affairs is now locked in a tussle with the Home Ministry to get the rules relaxed.

As per the sources, the move affects Russians who come to work in various fields from defense to nuclear power plants, like the Kudankulam plant in Tamil Nadu.

Russia is a very important strategic partner for India, which is why the foreign office is pushing its case.