External Affairs Minister of India S. Jaishankar announced that he is diligently observing the establishment of a United States consulate in Bengaluru and reminding the appropriate authorities on a regular basis of its development.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Apr 15, Jaishankar said, "Certainly, when I come to Bengaluru, it's an achievement I should talk about. We are tracking the establishment of that consulate."
Additionally, he emphasized that on the American side, there is a specific process involved, which includes resource allocation and obtaining approval, before the establishment of the consulate can proceed. "I think they are moving along that way. I am there to constantly remind them that this consulate should be done quickly."
Jaishankar mentioned that he would be interested in visiting the consulate on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He noted that he had made this request to the US during his visit in June last year. "I tell them that whenever you do the consulate, I would like to come here on behalf of Prime Minister Modi because this was a request that Prime Minister Modi got done when he went on a state visit to America in June last year," the EAM said.
A dialogue with the leading professionals in Bengaluru, Karnataka. https://t.co/FyihIBQ0ht
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) April 15, 2024
Local residents of the city are of the opinion that “it was about time” to establish a consulate in Bengaluru. “The city has a presence of many US companies outsourcing their work. Due to this, many professionals based in Bengaluru travel back and forth. There are even direct flights between Bengaluru and the US. In my opinion, the consulate should have been established many years ago,” local resident Anu Krishna said to New India Abroad.
“It was about time to set up a consulate in Bengaluru,” said startup founder Ritesh Mathur. “Why should residents of the city travel to other metropolitans such as Delhi or Mumbai to get their visas? Many tourists in the US are also from Bengaluru and Karnataka.” The United States operates four consulates in India currently at Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolata. They are overseen by the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.
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