Visa and Passport

Citizens of other countries need to have a valid passport and an entry, transit or tourist visa obtained from the Indian Embassy in their country. A visitor's Visa or Visa for attending workshop / conference can be obtained from your nearest Indian Embassy / consulate / high commission on producing valid passport, travel documents and sufficient means of support. Those who would like to visit a neighboring country like Sri Lanka or Nepal, and returning to India, should obtain a double/multiple entry visa. Please write to the secretariat if you need any help such as an invitation letter for obtaining the visa. It is advisable to apply for the visa at least two months ahead of the event.

Click here to view details of Indian Embassies

Local Time, Weather and Clothing

Indian local time is ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) by 5:30 hours. International flights to/from India arrive/depart typically between midnight and early morning, while Indian domestic flights are mostly during the daytime.

Bangalore is endowed by nature with a very salubrious and equable climate. The mean temperature in the warmest month (April) is 27.1°C (80.8°F) and in the coldest month (January) is 20.4°C (68.8°F). The temperature during the day rarely exceeds 34°C (93°F) in summer (April and May) and seldom falls below 15.5°C (60°F) on winter nights (December, January and February). The atmosphere is neither very humid nor very dry. The mean values of the relative humidity in the wettest (September) and driest (January) months are 76 and 63 percent respectively.

Early morning fog occurs between October to February but mainly in December and January. An important feature influencing the climate of Bangalore is the low cloud which covers almost the entire sky during greater part of the day from June to September. The morning hours in these months, with overcast skies, little or no rain and a fresh breeze with temperature of the order of 21°C to 25°C (70°F to 77°F) are the most pleasant in the year.

Clothing: Woollens are not recommended. For those (specially overseas delegates) who wish to travel in South India before or after the conference, the weather would be, by and large, the same, except in the hill resorts which would be cold. For those who wish to travel in the north and central India, light woollens are recommended, as it would be cold.

Currency

The Indian currency is Rupee (1 US$ = 47.9 Rupees at the beginning of October 2006; more recent information can be found at the Currency Exchange). Currency conversion is possible at airports and banks, although many of them deal only with US-dollars, British-pounds and Euros. At the end of the trip, rupees can be converted back into foreign currency, only if one has receipts demonstrating that a larger amount of foreign currency was converted into rupees earlier during the trip. If you are carrying large amount of foreign currency (not travellers cheques but cash), that should be declared at the customs when entering India. Travellers cheques do not have to be declared and are easier to carry. Expensive equipment liable to custom duty (e.g. laptop computers and video cameras) should also be declared at the customs. Such items will be entered in your passport, and you don't have to pay any duty provided that you take them back when you return.

International credit cards are accepted at major hotels and shops, but not everywhere. The HDFC bank close to IISc has a 24-hour ATM, where you can use international credit cards to get Indian currency. The ATM provides a better exchange rate than that offered by hotels and shops. (The HDFC bank charges the credit card company Rs.55 per transaction. The amount charged by the credit card company to you will depend on the agreement between you and your credit card company.) Avoid accepting currency notes of denominations Rupee 1, 2 and 5; ask for the corresponding coins instead. The government has stopped printing these notes, but old damaged and soiled notes are still in circulation.

Electricity and Telephone

India uses the metric system of measurements. The electricity supply for industrial use is made at 400 volts, 50 cycles, 3 phase (4 wire system), while of domestic use it is supplied at 230 volts, 50 cycles, single phase. Appliances requiring 110 Volts would need a voltage adapter. The electrical sockets require three (or two) round pin plugs.

Telephone booths with international call facility and internet cafes, accessible with cash payment, can be found at many street corners in the cities. Card-operated telephones (magnetic cards or electronic accounts) exist at many public places (e.g. airports, hotels, IISc guest house). The cards are issued by the Telecom Department of Government of India, in denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1000 units. 1 unit costs approximately 1.20 rupee, and works for about 1 minute for local calls and for about 1 second for calls to the USA.

Insurance and Liability

The Organizers of Conference as well as hotels do not take any responsibility whatsoever for injury or damage involving persons and property during the Conference. Participants are advised to arrange for their own personal, travel and health insurance for the trip to India.