Devanjana Mukherjee, Khabri Media
Apart from the Indian Embassy in Washington, India maintains consulates in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco.
Pic: Social Media
In a significant move that underscores the growing importance of India-U.S. relations and recognizes the economic and technological prowess of the Pacific Northwest, the Indian government has announced plans to open a new consulate in Seattle. To subscribe please click tau.id/2iy6f and access our live channel.
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Home to many big technology companies, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has appointed its first Consul-General in Seattle. The envoy, Joint Secretary Prakash Gupta, is MEA’s point-person for all multilateral coordination on United Nations issues.
Prakash Gupta, an IFS officer of the 2002 batch, will be the first Consul General in Seattle. He is expected to travel to USA later this month in mid-November for the grand opening. Gupta handles UN affairs in MEA and has in the past served as the deputy chief of mission in Shanghai and Indonesia. He will head a two-man diplomatic mission with about 16 non-diplomatic and local staff.
IFS Prakash Gupta (Pic: Social Media)
According to official sources, the announcement of the consulate opening is expected to be made next week during the bi-lateral talks on November 10 when U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defence Secretary Gen. Lloyd Austin visit Delhi.
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While the decision to open the mission was first announced in the 2016, the proposal that was to have accompanied a reciprocal U.S. plan to open new consulates in India, didn’t make much progress.
During his visit to Washington D.C. in June this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had repeated the proposal, and the India-U.S. joint statement said the new consulates were the outcome of “rapid growth in the strategic partnership and demand for travel”.
Moreover, the U.S. is now expected to open two new consulates as well, apart from the four at present in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
