Explore Business Standard
Consulate
The Indian Consulate in Melbourne has been targeted in an act of vandalism with the Indian High Commission in Canberra raising the issue with Australian authorities on Friday. The Consulate premises in Melbourne have previously been the site of similar provocations, with slogans defacing the premises in past years during periods of heightened international tension, The Australia Today reported. Victoria Police said graffiti was discovered at the front entrance of the diplomatic premises around 1:00 am early Thursday. "Officers believe the front entry of the building was graffitied overnight, sometime between Wednesday and Thursday. An investigation into the damage remains ongoing, a police spokesperson said. The High Commission in a post on X on Friday said it raised the issue with Australian authorities. "The incident of defacing at the premises of the Consulate General of India in Melbourne by miscreants has been raised with Australian authorities. All necessary steps are being
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday inaugurated a new Consulate General of India in Manchester, which he said was symbolic of the importance of the growing diaspora in the region and a sign of things to come, including an India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The external affairs minister (EAM) said it was apt that Vishakha Yaduvanshi takes over her role as India's newest Consul General on International Women's Day, reflective of the strides the government has made in putting women's issues at the centre of policy. He followed up the official opening of the consulate building in Stockport, Greater Manchester, with a celebratory diaspora reception at the Old Trafford stadium, where he interacted with members of the Lancashire Cricket Club's women's team members before they leave for Bengaluru for a pre-season tour next week. My first visit to Manchester here today, in a formal way, is an acknowledgement of how much this relationship has matured in the last four decades,
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday inaugurated a new Consulate General of India in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to cater to the needs of a growing Indian diaspora in the region. Addressing a gathering of community leaders and prominent dignitaries at the newest Indian Consulate, the external affairs minister said the move symbolised the deepening of bilateral ties between India and the UK and an appreciation of the contributions of the diaspora. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, a devolved region of the United Kingdom, which is home to an estimated 10,000 people of Indian heritage as per the last official census. We saw in Belfast a meeting place, in many ways, between our UK policy and our European policies, said Jaishankar. We could see that this (region) had privileged access to both. Interestingly, we were negotiating free trade agreements with both the UK and the EU in parallel, which we hope to conclude at an early date, he said. The minister reflected
The Consulate General of India in Seattle said it had to deal with a law and order situation when certain individuals entered its premises unauthorised and engaged in aggressive and threatening behaviour with the Consulate staff over alleged denial of visa to one of them. Today, the Consulate was forced to deal with a law and order situation arising from the unauthorised entry by certain individuals into the Consulate premises after office hours, the Consulate said in a post on X Friday. It added that despite repeated requests, these individuals refused to leave the Consulate premises and engaged in aggressive and threatening behaviour with the Consulate staff. The Consulate said it was compelled to call in relevant local authorities to deal with the situation. Further action is being initiated against the trespassers. One of the individuals the Consulate referred to is former Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant, who said in a post on X that she was in the Consulate with her
A business forum organised in Seattle highlighted investment opportunities in India from the US Pacific Northwest in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, agri-tech, healthcare, higher education and tourism and showcased items for possible exports from India into the Greater Seattle area. The first 'Invest India Business Forum' (IIBF) was organised Monday by the Consulate General of India in Seattle in partnership with Greater Seattle Partners and The Northwest Seaport Alliance at the Bell Harbour International Conference Centre. The business forum aimed to attract investments from the Pacific Northwest into key sectors, particularly in high-end technologies like AI, which is anticipated to contribute USD 500 billion to India's economy by 2025, a press release issued by the Indian Consulate in Seattle said. Presentations made during IIBF underscored Government of India's commitment to developing key sectors, its skilled workforce, digital infrastructure, and related GOI policies.
The Consulate General of India in New York has refuted reports about restrictions being placed on Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, asserting that "no new change" has been introduced recently. "We have come across news reports spreading false information that restrictions have been placed on OCI cardholders in the recent past," the consulate said in a post on X. "Friends in the Indian American community are hereby informed that no new change has been introduced in the recent past for OCI card holders," it said, adding that provisions of the notification dated March 4, 2021, about the rights of OCI cardholders "continue to remain in force". It urged diaspora members to check the official website of the OCI services and its web page detailing frequently asked questions about it. An OCI cardholder is granted multiple entry, multi-purpose, life-long visa for visiting India, exempted from registration with the Foreign Regional Registration Officer for any length of stay in ..
The Consulate General of India in New York has announced that it will remain open throughout the year, including on all holidays, to help and facilitate people's travel to India in case of genuine emergencies. The Consulate said in a press release on Friday that it will remain open during all holidays, including Saturdays and Sundays, as well as other public holidays from 2 pm to 4 pm to address emergency requirements of the general public. The Consulate reiterated that this facility is for people with genuine emergencies and not for regular consular services. It advised applicants that before coming for any emergency service, they should call the Consulate's emergency helpline number to ascertain the per-requisite of supporting documents for these services and ensure that they fall in the category of emergency services, which cannot be postponed to its next working day. The facility, which came into effect on Friday, is only for emergency requirements of travel documents such as .
India will soon open a consulate general in Auckland, which is home to a large number of non-resident Indians in New Zealand. The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, approved the proposal to open a Consulate General of India in Auckland, an official statement said. The consulate is likely to be opened and fully operationalised within 12 months, it added. India currently has a consulate in Auckland, which is headed by a honorary consul. The opening of a consulate general would pave the way for the appointment of a consul general, a post usually held by an officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Opening the Consulate General of India in Auckland would help increase the country's diplomatic footprint and strengthen its representation in view of its increasing global engagement, the statement said. "This will also help promote India's strategic and commercial interests and better serve the welfare of the Indian community in Auckland,"
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the Indian-American community have urged the Indian government to open a consulate in the second-largest US city and the entertainment capital of the world. Currently, there are five Indian consulates in the US in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta. During the historic State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June, it was announced that India would open two new consulates in the US, one of which would be in Seattle. A group of Indian American organisations and the Los Angeles (LA) Mayor are urging that the second consulate should be opened in their city. I ask that you consider the City of Los Angeles for a new Indian Consulate. It would be my honour to work with you to open and provide continued support for this important platform for engagement and exchange, Bass wrote in a recent letter to India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Tourism between India and Los Angeles is another source of mutual benefit, and Lo
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that India will open a Consulate in the southern French city of Marseille. He made the announcement during a joint press statement with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace here. Stressing that there have been deep people-to-people ties between India and France for a long time, Modi said India will open a new Consulate in Marseille. Modi also welcomed France's decision of giving long-term visas to Indians who have studied in France. "We invite French universities to open campuses in India," he said. Modi also said that France is associating with the national museum being built in Delhi as a partner. Referring to the Olympics scheduled to be held in Paris next year, Modi said Indian athletes are very excited about the games. "I extend my best wishes to President Macron and his team for successfully hosting the games," he said.