The Consulate General of India has officially signed a 10-year lease for a full floor at the AON Center, located at 707 Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles. This move signifies a major step in expanding India's diplomatic and community presence in the United States. The 20,507 square-foot office will serve as a crucial hub for consular services, cultural initiatives, and economic engagement in the region, addressing a long-expressed need within the community.
The new consulate will be India's second in California, complementing the existing mission in San Francisco. It also marks the seventh Indian consulate in the United States. The Los Angeles consulate will serve not only Southern California but also Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.
The AON Center, a 62-story, recently renovated office tower, offers a state-of-the-art workspace with architectural distinction and various amenities, including a fully wired conference center, a full-service gym, and one of downtown's few private-use helipads. The State Bank of India also has offices in the same building.
Key figures present during the lease signing included diplomat Kulwant Singh and Priyanka Tyagi, who will serve as Vice Consul in Los Angeles. Dr. K.J. Srinivasa, the new Consul General for Los Angeles, will be arriving from New Delhi, where he previously served as Deputy Consul General in San Francisco.
The establishment of the consulate follows years of efforts to create a Los Angeles location, including advocacy from Mayor Karen Bass and a petition created by Santa Monica business consultant Gunjan Bagla. In 2023, Mayor Bass sent a letter to India's ambassador to the United States to advocate for a consulate office in the city. Gunjan Bagla also created a petition to send to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for a consulate in L.A.
The location of the new consulate in downtown Los Angeles is strategic. Tina LaMonica, Executive Vice President of NAI Capital Commercial, who represented the Consulate, noted that the AON Center provides a world-class environment in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, making essential services more accessible to the Indian American community across Southern California.
With this new consulate, the Indian American population in Southern California will have easier access to services such as passport renewals, visa processing, and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card applications. The move also signals enhanced opportunities for cultural and economic exchange between Los Angeles and India. The consulate is expected to offer faster services for Indian passport renewals, visas, Overseas Citizen of India cards, and other consular matters. It will also assist Indian nationals and Indian Americans with emergency assistance, making it easier to connect with the government of India without traveling to San Francisco.
The United States and India share a growing strategic partnership, collaborating closely on defense, climate change, and technology. Trade between the two countries has reached record highs in recent years. The growing Indian American population, now over 5 million nationwide, serves as a vital bridge between the two countries.
The opening of the Los Angeles consulate aligns with India's goal of expanding its global diplomatic presence. The new mission joins India's six other consulates across the United States, located in New York, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, and Seattle. The mission is expected to begin operations once the office is fully set up in the coming months.
