The first Indian vegetarian food festival, organized by the Consulate General of India in Guangzhou, is held in the city on Oct 13 to mark the 150th anniversary of the birthday of Indian icon Mahatma Gandhi. [Photo/southcn.com]

A direct flight between Guangzhou and Kolkata in India will be launched from Oct 17, according to an announcement by Sujit Ghosh, consul general of India in Guangzhou, during the first Indian vegetarian food festival in Guangzhou on Oct 13.

The festival, organized by the Consulate General of India in Guangzhou, was held to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Indian icon Mahatma Gandhi.

On Oct 11, the Embassy of India in China announced that India will further liberalize its e-visa policy for Chinese nationals and starting from this October, Chinese nationals can apply for an e-Tourist visa (e-TV) that possess a five year validity with multiple entries.

"The policy is for the whole of China, yet it is also good news for the South China area," said Ghosh. "More and more Indians are travelling to South China, and India has also seen more and more Chinese tourists. Considering the huge population of both countries, the tourism market still has huge growth potential and space, and we are working on it to stimulate more demand for bilateral tourism."

The flight, conducted by Indigo Airlines, will be available once a day between Guangzhou and Kolkata from Oct 17.

"Kolkata, capital of the eastern Indian state West Bengal and the third largest city in India, is home to many overseas Chinese from South China, making the relationship between South China area and India closer," added Ghosh.