Yesterday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new Indian Consulate in Los Angeles during his address to Indian Americans in New York’s Nassau Veterans Coliseum.
I led community efforts to establish this consulate in Los Angeles, and highlighted the strategic importance of the city noting that it is the second-largest city in the United States and, along with Long Beach, and handles about 40% of all overseas goods trade in the country.
I had also emphasized, “Los Angeles is the capital of the Pacific Rim. With the growing global importance of the Indo-Pacific, India needs to be present here. All but one of the G20 countries have consulates here in Los Angeles.”
We obtained over 3,600 signatures from Southern California residents. Dozens of American and Indian American organizations wrote letters to the Prime Minister’s Office. After reviewing their suggestions, India has decided to open two new consulates in Boston and Los Angeles,
I am grateful to Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and former Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Taranjit Sandhu for the decision. Many local leaders and organizations supported our effort, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and her team, David Abel of VerdeXchange, Stephen Cheung of the World Trade Center, Richard Downie of the World Affairs Council, the leaders of the American Jewish Committee and the members of “India International Impact” a local non profit.
I believe that the Modi government listens and responds to the needs of Indian Americans and of American business and political leaders. The decision was warmly welcomed by residents of Los Angeles. The new consulate is expected to benefit both business relations and the Indian American community.
American business executives with an interest in India will feel more engaged with a local consul general representing India. Indian Americans will benefit in the case of emergency travel needs to India by not having to fly to San Francisco.
This decision brings the total number of Indian consulates in the U.S. to eight, with existing ones in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and Seattle, along with the Embassy in Washington DC and the Permanent Mission to the UN in New York City.
