India is set to open a new consulate in US’ Seattle soon, almost seven years after it first announced the initiative, people familiar with the matter said on 4th November. The consulate is likely to be operationalised by the end of November, they said.
A joint statement issued after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Washington in June mentioned that India will operationalise its new consulate in Seattle later this year.
It is learnt that 2002 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Prakash Gupta will be the Consulate-General at the mission in Seattle – a major technology hub. Prakash Gupta is currently serving as a joint secretary at the United Nations Political Division at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
India first announced its plan to open a consulate in Seattle in 2016. The Indo-US joint statement of June mentioned plans by both sides to open new consulates in the other country.
“Concomitant with the rapid growth in our strategic partnership and demand for travel, both sides intend to open new consulates in each other’s countries,” it said. “The United States intends to initiate the process to open two new consulates in India in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad,” it said. “India will take steps to operationalize its new consulate in Seattle later this year, and open two new consulates at jointly identified locations in the United States,” the joint statement said.
