Living in India on a regular tourist visa

This applies to holders of German passports. I am not certain OP is one:

https://www.indiamike.com/india/indi...3/#post2094375

True. Nationality determines visa duration and we don't know the OP's nationality. However:
"Multiple entry tourist and business visas of five-year validity will now be available to nationals of most of the countries. Ninety-four missions having bio-metric enrolment facilities started giving five-year validity tourist and business visa from March 1, 2017. The remaining missions will be providing this facility in due course,"
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/57947825.cms

Just checked and yes, am eligible for a 5-year tourist visa.

Then there is another strategy. Get an appointment with the First Secretary at the nearest consulate (or Embassy) and discuss the various options. If they say, NO. There is always a T-visa. No harm trying.

You will have to prove that the relationship is genuine such as joint lease documents, or same address etc. A joint bank account may also help.

When I last went through immigration, I was quizzed on each place I stayed, based on data from submitted c-forms. I was also expected to explain any gaps, which I assume were due to overnight travel or hotels failing to submit the forms. I think k it is best to be honest. You are a tourist because you are visiting the country, not working, and not staying permanently. Depending on where you stay you may be able to fill out a c form online indicating your stay. Find a local that will "sponsor" you...a landlord is an obvious choice, and have them register you with the FRO. They will likely expect a bribe, even if your business is legitimate.
In this way, you are visiting the country and making due efforts to follow the rules. Your biggest hurdle will likely be explaining your relationship status.

Are you on an Interpol list or something? I have never been asked for anything. FROs turn me down when I attempt to register. I get an income tax certificate and they don't ask for it. Evidently everybody fills out a C form. But, I have yet to see one. 'Course when I stayed long term I either stayed in homes or out in the gao where I rented. I feel shunned, show some interest authorities..

Which airport was this? I can imagine a bored immigration officer at Tiruchirapalli asking you all these questions just to make his day but at major points of entry they would be wary of holding up the line.
My experience at US ponts of entry is that at New York, Chicago or Washington DC one is asked a few routine questions and then has one's passport stamped while at Detroit I was asked to describe my whole itinerary in detail including names of persons I was meeting, their respective professions and a lot more. I have heard of similar experiences at Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Raleigh/Durham.
Similarly, in the days before Schengen when I carried an Indian passport full of visas I learnt very soon to stick to major border crossing points if I didn't want to have to answer more questions than from a fellow passenger on Indian Railways.

Reading this thread I could not help scratching my head and wondering if your partner and you cannot imagine being separated for any length of time, what is actually stopping you from getting married? After all, since 'Aufgebot' is no longer required in Germany, what stops you from going to the Standesamt and getting officially married in a couple of days? You can then have a romantic wedding in India, dress up in a sari and invite all your friends and relatives to experience something unique. Just my two pfennig...

I'm not on any watch lists, I think it was just an over zealous immigration official. Their concerned seemed to be the likelihood of me working in India. I was wearing a sports coat and carrying a laptop bag, which may have added to this suspicion. This was in Kolkata airport, and was stopped leaving the country and entering. I haven't had this issue at any other port of entry.
I spoke to three immigration officials before I was permitted, and each seemed concerned that I was working in tourist visa.

OP is not revealing her nationality. I think this is part of the problem.

It must be the beard (in your avatar). But, its true at times its freaky. My boy and only he was stopped on the return to HYD from VZG? and asked for his boarding pass which he thoughtfully had discarded. It took a fierce Mom who came and upbraided him fiercely and then told them she would take care of him for doing that. They wisely let him pass with those delightful smiles..

Not quite Tiruchirapalli but a provincial airport all the same.

Hi. That's something of an Idea I also thought of but there seem to be both advantages and disadvantages to this... disadvantages being the "waving of red flags", which might put me on a "those complicated people" list.. Of course, as mentioned by others too, none of us are Indian Immigration lawyers so this is pure brainstorming for sake of mutual help....Thanks for your input.

Trust me, it is not At the time of the posting and now I just don't consider the nationality changing much in the situation... As far as I understand, yes, having a visa for a longer period of time is less risky than the short-term ones because having to reapply every 6 months puts me more on the radar of the authorities than just trying my luck with the immigration officials at the airport. But after discussions on this thread, it looks like the answer to the original post is de jure a "no" but de facto a "yes on 2 conditions: 1) if you don't overstay and 2) if you can prove that you haven't been doing anything illegal like work, study, etc."

I heard many stories of people who work remotely while living abroad, meaning they do not engage in paid work in the country they are living in but just live there (as a hypothetical situation let's assume the person is paid enough to live in a hotel and doesn't need to get into any rental agreements, buy a car, doesn't need a local SIM card, etc.). Let's say this hypothetical person wants to do so in India? Is this something people do in India? I would imagine so...so what visa are they on? Am I correct to assume it is all the people talking about doing visa runs on tourist visas?

As many have mentioned in the beginning of the thread, I, indeed, it turns out will actually be a tourist as I will not be doing anything that is allowed on the tourist visa - my stay in India will be longer than a regular tourist of a couple days or weeks because my partner will be living there for some time, but my activities in India will be limited to what falls under the tourist definition. Therefore, how does one prove that they just stay in India and do not engage in anything that would require them to get a visa other than a tourist or entry visa? I think it all comes down to that and not a specific nationality.. please correct me if I am wrong

Oh and just a side-note, I think it was clear but just in case (and not necessarily responding to the specific post in the quote), I am not trying to cheat the system or pretend I am doing something I am not. I am just trying to figure out a way that would allow me a headache-free stay

HA! Typo is funny this is starting to confuse me obviously and I am even ready to not do what is allowed.. is shopping allowed on a tourist visa?