Overview
- IndiGo flight 6E1703 from Kolkata landed in Guangzhou before 04:00 local time on Monday, marking the first direct India–China service since 2020.
- India’s government said restored links will encourage people-to-people contact and support a gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges.
- New direct routes connecting New Delhi with Shanghai and Guangzhou are scheduled to begin in November, in addition to ongoing services with Hong Kong.
- Before the halt tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly 500 direct flights operated monthly, and ties later worsened after a deadly 2020 Himalayan border clash.
- Business groups expect shorter transit times and more trade, with Indian imports from China exceeding $11 billion in September 2025 and exports at $1.47 billion, as the diplomatic thaw unfolds alongside reported strains in India–U.S. relations after President Trump imposed a 50% surcharge on Indian exports in August.