India expands consular services in US with 9 new application centres

In a boost to consular access for the Indian diaspora, Vinay Kwatra, the Indian Ambassador to the US, announced on Thursday the launch of nine new Indian consular services application centres, which will become operational from August 1. The announcement was made via a video message posted by the Embassy of India in Washington, DC, on platform X. Kwatra said, “The new application centres will be located in Boston, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Addison, Orlando, Raleigh, and San Jose. In addition, another centre is expected to open soon in Los Angeles.”

Kwatra also announced another change, saying that all Indian consular application centres across the US will remain open on Saturdays starting August 1. He stated that this would “significantly enhance not just the availability of various consular services but also their accessibility”. The centres will offer streamlined access to various consular services, while certain core services will continue to be available only at the embassy premises.

Kwatra added that with the opening of these new Indian consular application centres, the presence to provide extensive consular services and related delivery capabilities would increase and expand significantly. He reiterated that the newly announced full-fledged Indian consulates in Boston and Los Angeles would further deepen ties in these regions. Kwatra urged the Indian community in the US to monitor the embassy’s official website for regular updates on service availability and the operational timeline of each centre.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian-origin population in the US stands at 5.4 million, including over 2 million NRIs. The Indian diaspora is the third-largest Asian ethnic group in the US and plays a key role in advancing bilateral relations.