They were also floating the idea of a visa on arrival - but stay was limited to 10 days. You might want to look into that. I agree with @Pizzagirl - the bureaucracy is just crazy. The earlier you get started on this, the better.
July is also a peak time for travel to India. Expect tickets from anywhere in the US to Delhi to cost over 1000$, easily. You can get great fares (800-900$) if you travel off-peak times, but not in summer or around Xmas. We are looking for tickets in Dec and the fares right now are about 1400$.