USAID didn’t fund voter turnout in India: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has cited a communication from the US Embassy in New Delhi to state that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) did not carry out any ‘political funding’ in India between 2014 and 2024.

According to the MEA, the US Embassy informed India on July 2 that “USAID neither received nor provided $21 million in funding for voter turnout in India from fiscal years 2014 to 2024, nor has it implemented any voter turnout-related activities in the country”.

The MEA had asked the Embassy to share comprehensive data on USAID funding in India from 2014 to 2024, including details of implementing partners, project objectives and key accomplishments.

The request followed a post by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on social media platform X announcing the cancellation of $486 million in USAID funding for Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) projects worldwide. The DOGE post claimed the cancellation covered a $21 million allocation for increasing “voter turnout in India”.

The MEA had also requested the Embassy to furnish details of expenditure on all USAID-assisted and funded projects in India, excluding those undertaken under the seven partnership agreements with the Government of India.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy informed the MEA on July 29 that all USAID operations in India would close by August 15. It added that the Department of Economic Affairs had been informed that the seven partnership agreements signed with the Government of India would also stand closed with effect from that date.