No formal letter from state govt yet on US consulate in Bengaluru, says MP Tejasvi Surya

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday said the state government has not offered a plot of land in Bengaluru to the US Foreign office, yet, to take the consulate proposal forward. city.

"I have read the media statement of (IT/BT Minister) Priyank Kharge. But there has been no written communication. The state government has not written to the US authorities," the BJP MP said in a chat with mediapersons.

Kharge had on Monday said the government would offer all support to the US Foreign office if it were to start a consulate in Bengaluru.


The White House officials had, last year, indicated it would set up a US Consulate in the city after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US.

The Bengaluru consulate will prove to be a boon for the city's techies and students in getting the US visas faster, Surya had said, at that time.

According to White House officials, Indian students are set to become the largest foreign student community in the United States with a 20% increase in 2022. The nation issued a record 125,000 visas to Indian students in 2022.


Karnataka is also home to about 650 US companies, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs both in India and the US.

BS Yediyurappa, the then CM, had said out of the 100 US companies operating in India, about 90 firms including the leading technology firms such as Cisco, IBM, Intel, GE, HP, and Oracle have a significant presence in Bengaluru.

In fact, Karnataka has always been pressing for a US visa centre in Bengaluru. Officials always impressed upon the US authorities that about 70% of those visiting the US from South India are from Karnataka.