With a goal of enhancing diplomatic and economic ties between India and the Pacific Northwest, the new Indian Consulate in Seattle officially opened its doors in November 2023. With offices based in downtown Seattle, this consulate will serve nine states: Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

The establishment of the Indian Consulate marks the culmination of efforts that began nearly three decades ago. In 1994, residents first petitioned the Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., to establish a local consulate. The consulate aims to provide more accessible services to the over 300,000 Indian Americans residing in the Indian Pacific Northwest diaspora, who previously had to travel to San Francisco for consular services. This will streamline business and tourism visas and other business between the two areas, while deepening the exposure and understanding of diverse cultural landscape that makes up the entire country of India.

The consulate is currently staffed by 15 employees, with plans to expand to around 20 people. Leading the team is Consul General Prakash Gupta, a seasoned diplomat with 22 years in the Indian Foreign Service. Gupta's distinguished career includes roles such as Director General for the United Nations, planning preparations of the G-20 summit in New Delhi, and Consul General of Shanghai. He resides in the India House on the Eastside, near Meydenbauer Bay, with his wife, Neha, and daughter, Pranjali.

The Seattle consulate will initially concentrate on three primary areas:

The Consulate is committed to promoting the unique, multifaceted communities that make up the generic term “Indian culture” in the Pacific Northwest. Plans are in place to host Indian Cultural Week celebrations, Indian film & food festivals, Yoga classes, and other events to introduce Seattleites and Eastside residents to the diversity and richness of Indian heritage.

Prakash Gupta, born and raised in Lucknow, a city in Northern India, brings a wealth of experience and a passion for cultural exchange to his new role. He enjoys exploring new cultures and languages, a trait he is passing on to his daughter. Gupta has already discovered some favorite Indian restaurants in the area, including Chutney’s for North Indian cuisine, Clove in Renton, and The Mint Progressive in Seattle for Indian dishes.

One of the benefits he finds most enjoyable about world travel and diplomatic work is the cross-cultural communication and understanding his job creates. He was introduced to this when, on his first placement, he was based in Beijing. He employed a local housekeeper who only spoke Mandarin, which helped with his command of the language. When his mother came to stay with him for an extended visit, he was worried she would be lonely in the city since she spoke only Hindi. But the two women, neither speaking the other’s language, broke the boundaries of communication and forged a strong bond despite not sharing a common tongue. For many years after her visit, his mother and his former housekeeper had video calls where each were speaking their respective language, but the messages between them was very clear.   

He and his family enjoy exploring new cultures and languages. Gupta feels his daughter is benefiting significantly by embracing and welcoming disparate communities, enabling her to approach life and connect with people from all walks of the global community.