Indian ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra inaugurated the new chancery premises of the Indian consulate in Seattle. Washington state governor Bob Ferguson joined the inauguration.Ferguson welcomed the opening of the new Indian consulate as a landmark development, especially in deepening bilateral ties between India and the US Pacific Northwest region.PM Narendra Modi had announced in June 2023 the commencement of the 6th Indian Consulate in US in Seattle. Within 5 months, as the consulate said in a statement, it commenced its operations from a temporary location in Seattle. “Following initiation of its consular operations in July 2024, the consulate has provided consular services to a total of nearly 23,722 applicants from its consular jurisdiction area of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska,” said consul general Prakash Gupta.The inaugural ceremony was also followed by a brief interaction of Kwatra with representatives of Indian American community. During the visit, the ambassador also interacted with senior leadership of tech companies from the Greater Seattle area, as well as with elected leadership of Washington State, and leaders of Indian origin elected to public office.