The governments of the United States and India dedicated a new site for the U.S. consulate in Bengaluru in a move to expand the diplomatic ties between the two countries.
With External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti dedicated the site of the U.S. consulate, which is intended to become the fifth U.S. consulate in India.
“The consulate will expand on the more than thirty-year presence of the U.S. government in Bengaluru by increasing our diplomatic engagement on economic and political issues, conducting public diplomacy and people-to-people engagements, and augmenting existing U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service capabilities,” an official statement said.
Initially, consular services will continue to be performed at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai and other U.S. diplomatic posts in India.
“While visa services will not be offered initially, we are committed to bringing those services here as soon as possible. We recognise the demand, whether it’s for tourism, education, or business, and this consulate will play a pivotal role in facilitating those connections,” Garcetti said at the site dedication ceremony at J W Marriott at Vittal Mallya Road, which houses the US Commercial Service (USCS) Office now. The consulate will now operate from the USCS office, till a location is finalised.
Ambassador Garcetti and Minister Jaishankar, joined by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, announced their efforts to fulfill a commitment made by President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Prime Minister’s State Visit to Washington, DC, in June 2023.
The initiative to expand the U.S. presence in Bengaluru will broaden and deepen the ties between the United States and the state of Karnataka and build upon long-standing diplomatic engagement and strategic partnership in Karnataka.
Karnataka is home to nearly 700 U.S. companies and tens of thousands of U.S. citizens who live, visit, study, and work here, creating jobs in both the United States and India.
It is also the centre of rapidly expanding collaboration in space, highlighted by the planned launches this year of the jointly developed NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite and of a U.S. mission to bring NASA-trained Indian astronauts to the International Space Station.
Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Ambassador Garcetti said, “Our relationship truly extends from the seabed to the stars, and nowhere is that truer than here in Bengaluru. ”
“The innovation and entrepreneurship of this state – from semiconductors to space – is matched only by Silicon Valley in my home state of California. I’m so proud to dedicate our new consulate site and announce the expansion of the collaboration between the American people and the citizens of Karnataka,” he said.
Expressing optimism about the future of the bilateral relationship, Minister for External Affairs, S. Jaishankar stated, “I do believe today it is within our grasp, within the realm of possibility that we realize more fully the potential of India -U.S. relationship.”
“I see a great future for India and the United States, and I think, in that future, obviously Bengaluru will also have a salient part.”
Speaking at the event, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar said: “This is not just an opening of the diplomatic mission, but a powerful symbol of the ties between the United States and India, particularly with Karnataka, a state that has been long at the heart of India’s growth and innovation.”
Bengaluru is the sister city of San Francisco and Cleveland; and a key link with U.S. defense, technology, and aerospace companies.
The U.S. government first established an office in Bengaluru in 1993 with the opening of its Commercial Service post in the city.
