The India-United States Conference on Space Science, Applications, and Commerce will be held 21-25 June 2004, at Hotel Grand Ashok, Bangalore, India.

Located in the Deccan Plateau in the southern part of India, Bangalore is the capital of the State of Karnataka. The city has a population of 5.68 million and is ranked as the fifth largest metropolis of India.

Bangalore is known as the science, technology, and IT hub of India and hosts a large number of government, public sector and private sector organizations related to information technology, electronics, aerospace, defense, biotechnology, and many other fields. Its tree-lined streets and abundant greenery, have led to it being called the Garden City of India. Bangalore is well connected by Air to/from Frankfurt, London, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Kathmandu through Delhi and Mumbai.

Bangalore is well linked by domestic and international flights. Direct rail and road connections from within the country also make Bangalore easily accessible. Prepaid taxi services and cabs are available round the clock.

Being 3,000 ft (914 m) above sea level, Bangalore is blessed with a very pleasant climate. The mean temperature in the warmest month (April) is 27.1ºC (80.8ºF) and in the coldest month (January) is 20.4ºC (68.8ºF). The temperature during the day rarely exceeds 34ºC (93ºF) in summer (April and May) and seldom falls below 15.5ºC (60ºF) in the month of June the temperature is 28ºC (82.4ºF). On winter nights (December, January, and February). The atmosphere is neither very humid nor very dry.

For more information about Bangalore, please visit OnlineBanglore.com.

The Hotel Grand Ashok is a 183-room 5 star hotel with extensive landscaped gardens, built on a 10.33-acre site on Kumara Krupa High Grounds, located in the heart of Bangalore's main commercial and shopping district, overlooking an 18-hole golf course. The hotel has spacious rooms and suites fully equipped with modern facilities and offers a swimming pool, health club, shopping arcade, tennis court, and multi-cuisine restaurant, and other guest services. The Grand Ashok has state of the art conference rooms and meeting rooms where all the India-U.S. Space Conference sessions and meetings will be held.

The Hotel Grand Asohk is conveniently located from various facilities in Bangalore:

Airport: 13 kms
Rail Station: 3 kms
City Center: 5 km.
Government Offices: 2 kms
Bangalore Turf Club: .5 km

For more information about the venue, please contact the Conference Secretariat:

Dr. J.V. Thomas
Indian Space Research Organisation Headquarters
Antariksh Bhavan, New BEL Road
Bangalore-560 094
INDIA
Tel: +91-80-2172445 • Fax: +91-80-3417455
E-mail: jvthomas@isro.org

Visas Requirements for U.S. Delegates

Most travelers need visas to enter India. U.S. delegates to the India-United States Conference on Space Science, Applications, and Commerce should check with the closest Indian embassy or consulate to find out what visa they should apply for. If there is no Indian Consulate nearby, applicants might have to fill out the application forms, send them in with their passport, and pay an additional fee. Please allow at least two weeks for processing visa application.

Change of purpose is not permitted once travelers have reached India. Depending on the nature of the journey, delegates should apply for the correct visa category. Some of the categories are listed below:

• Conference Visa: A letter of invitation from the organizer of the conference is to be attached along with the visa application. Please contact the Conference Secretariat, Dr. J.V. Thomas, to request a letter of invitation.
  
• Business Visa: Valid for six month or one/more years with multiple entries. However, the period of stay in India (for each visit) under this category is limited to six months only. A letter from the sponsoring organization indicating nature of applicant’s business, probable duration of stay, validity of visa, places and organizations to be visited and also a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses etc. should accompany the application. Business visa valid for ten years with multiple entries is available to foreign businessmen who have set up or intend to set up joint ventures in India.
  
• Journalist Visa: Journalist visa is given to professional journalists and photographers for up to three months' stay in India.
  
• Tourist Visa: Valid for 6 months to 10 years. Ten (10) year visa is available only to US citizens under a bilateral arrangement. Irrespective of the duration of validity of visa, on each visit maximum period of stay in India is limited to 6 months (180 days). Multiple entry visas are given.

General Information about Visas

Embassy of India, Washington, DC

Consulate General of India, Chicago, IL

Consulate General of India, Houston, TX

Consulate General of India, New York, NY

Consulate General of India, San Francisco, CA