The United States is going to establish two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while India plans to build a mission in Seattle to strengthen people-to-people ties.
According to the source, the United States granted a record 125,000 visas to Indian students last year. With a 20% surge only last year, Indian students are on track to become the largest international student group in the United States.
The claim comes as US President Joe Biden rolled out the White House red carpet for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday in a bid to kick-start a stronger US-India partnership and challenge China's global dominance through a series of defence and economic accords.
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Before the leaders convened for Oval Office meetings ahead of a lavish state banquet in the evening, Biden gave Modi a colourful White House South Lawn arrival ceremony in front of some 7,000 spectators in the morning. For India's 1.4 billion citizens, participating in this big welcoming ceremony at the White House was an honour and a source of pride. For the more than 4 million Americans of Indian descent, this was also a great honour.
The US President claims that India and the US must cooperate and take the lead jointly to meet the possibilities and difficulties the world is experiencing in the 21st century, and they do. In the aftermath of difficult relations with neighbouring China, PM Modi is attempting to increase the impact that India, the world's most populous nation with 1.4 billion people, has on the global arena.
Later this year, the US Department of State will begin a pilot programme to decide on local renewals of some petition-based temporary work visas, including those for Indian citizens, to expand the pool.
In addition to its embassy in Washington, India maintains five consulates in the US, located in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta. One of the biggest US diplomatic posts worldwide is the US embassy in New Delhi.
According to the information on its website, the embassy manages the operations of four consulates, located in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Hyderabad, to ensure that the US-India connection remains robust throughout the country.
Source: The Hindustan Times
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