The city of Bengaluru is set to get a fully functioning US Consulate soon, thanks to the efforts of Tejasvi Surya, the local MP from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who has been pushing for this for a while. The announcement was made following a visit by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US, during which a senior White House official confirmed that two new consulates would be opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad respectively, while India would establish a mission in Seattle.
Expressing his gratitude to the Indian Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister for their efforts in providing Bengaluru with a US Consulate, Surya said that this would be hugely beneficial to the city’s IT industry, which is one of the fastest-growing in the country, and also allow for easier travel for students and businessmen travelling to the US.
Surya has been advocating for a US Consulate in Bengaluru for some time now, citing the convenience it would offer to the city’s huge student population, and aid in enhancing commerce and cooperation between the two countries. The city is home to approximately 750 multinational corporations, with about 370 of them headquartered in the US, and a large number of Kannadigas travel to the US for education and business purposes every year.
Back in March this year, Surya sought the support of the External Affairs Minister in his efforts to push for a US Consulate in Bengaluru. According to reports, Jaishankar had assured Surya that he would take up the matter with US Foreign Affairs Secretary, Antony Blinken, during his next meeting with him.
Surya’s continuous efforts were finally rewarded with the announcement of a consulate, which he believes will greatly benefit the city and boost ties between India and the US. It is expected to serve at least half a million people from the state of Karnataka, and help ease the burden on the consulates in Chennai and Hyderabad.
Without a doubt, the US Consulate in Bengaluru will have a significant impact on the city’s economy and the lives of its people. The efforts of Surya and the Indian government in bringing this about are indeed commendable and are expected to benefit India’s IT sector in particular.
