The US Consulate in Bengaluru is scheduled to open on January 17, as announced by Bengaluru South MP and BJP leader Tejasvi Surya on X. He credited the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for making this possible.
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While announcing the news in Kannada, Tejasvi Surya congratulated External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in a video and expressed his gratitude by gifting him Karnataka's iconic Mysore Pak. During their conversation, Jaishankar remarked that Bengaluru truly deserved a consulate.has earlier
Surya has earlier highlighted the long-standing demand for a US Consulate in Bengaluru, which will now save residents significant travel time and expenses. "The people of Bengaluru had to travel to Chennai, Hyderabad, or New Delhi for US visa-related work, costing them ₹25,000 to ₹30,000. The new consulate will benefit four to five lakh people in Karnataka annually," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Surya has earlier highlighted the long-standing demand for a US Consulate in Bengaluru, which will now save residents significant travel time and expenses. "The people of Bengaluru had to travel to Chennai, Hyderabad, or New Delhi for US visa-related work, costing them ₹25,000 to ₹30,000. The new consulate will benefit four to five lakh people in Karnataka annually," he said.
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Earlier, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti had confirmed the US's commitment to establishing a consulate in Bengaluru, calling it a critical focus. During an interactive session hosted by the US-India Business Council (USIBC), Garcetti emphasized Bengaluru's importance as a global tech hub and noted that the US was the only major country without a consulate in the city.
In 2023, during Prime Minister Modi's visit to the United States, President Joe Biden and PM Modi announced plans to open two new US consulates in India, one in Bengaluru and the other in Ahmedabad. Garcetti had expressed optimism about the progress, stating, “We’re committed to opening the consulate in Bengaluru, and we hope to make an announcement soon.”
The US already has a Foreign Commercial Service office in Bengaluru, underscoring its importance in fostering US-India relations. The consulate's opening is expected to ease visa-related processes for Karnataka residents and strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.
(With PTI inputs)
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