Soon, Bengalureans need not travel to Chennai for a US visa, with the United States announcing that it will set up new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while an Indian mission would be established in Seattle, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States, a senior White House official made it official on Thursday, June 22. "The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India is likewise welcoming the 2023 opening of its consulate in Seattle, and look forward to also announcing a new consulate in the United States," the official said. Currently, India already has five consulates in the US — in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta, as well as an embassy in Washington.
While there isn't an official timeline for setting up the consulate, the official said the population of Indian students in the US is steadily growing, which is why the decision for additional consulates was made. According to the official, as many as 1,25,000 visas were issued to Indian students in 2022, with Indians making up 20 per cent of the foreign student population.
On Thursday, Bengaluru South MP Tejaswi Surya, who had campaigned for the opening of the consulate in 2019, thanked the Central government. "As India's fastest growing city and IT powerhouse with thousands of international companies, it was a long pending ask. This will help lakhs of Kannadigas and our city," Surya said on his social media.
Further, he said the move would help lakhs of students in the city who aim to travel to the US for their higher education. "The US Consulate in Bengaluru, apart from making it convenient for lakhs of students from the city, will enhance commerce and cooperation between India and the United States. I once again thank the Modi Government for promoting the interests of Bengaluru and ensuring that a long-pending request is fulfilled," he said.
