US to open two new consulates in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad

The US will open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while India will establish a mission in Seattle to boost people-to-people relationships, a senior White House official said. The official said the US issued a record 125,000 visas to Indian students last year. The number of Indian students in the United States is expected to be the largest foreign student community in the United States, with an increase of 20 percent last year alone, the senior administration official said. The United States is planning to open more consulates in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. India is 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. Later this year, the US Department of State will launch a pilot to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas, including for Indian nationals with the intent to implement this for an expanded pool, the official said. In the US, India has five consulates in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta, apart from the embassy in Washington. New Delhi, the US embassy, is one of the largest US diplomatic missions globally. The embassy maintains the interests of four consulates - in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad - to ensure that the US-India relationship is strong throughout the country, according to the information on its website.