India Consulate Coming to Downtown Los Angeles

The Consulate General of India is growing its presence in California with its first outpost in Los Angeles.

The South Asian country’s diplomatic arm signed a full-floor lease at the Aon Center at 707 Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles, Bisnow reported. The lease for approximately 21,000 square feet lasts 10 years and becomes India’s second consulate office in the state after the first in San Francisco.

It’s a notable addition that comes about two years after the $148 million deal for the 62-story office tower struck by Carolwood’s Adam Rubin and Andrew Shanfeld.

It puts the Consulate in the same building as the local offices of State Bank of India, a major financial institution in the South Asian nation.

In 2023, Mayor Karen Bass sent a letter to India’s ambassador to the United States angling for a consulate office in the city. That same year, Santa Monica business consultant Gunjan Bagla created a petition to send to Prime Minister Narenda Modi asking for a consulate in L.A., LAist reported. The entreaties came as Bass’ predecessor as mayor, Eric Garcetti, served as U.S. Ambassador to India.

Last year, Modi announced that he planned to open new consulates in L.A. and in Boston. “I had asked for suggestions from you for two more consulates,” Modi told Indian Americans in New York, LAist and India Today reported. “I am happy to announce that after reviewing your suggestions, India has decided to open two new consulates in Boston and Los Angeles.”

The Consulate General worked with NAI Capital to find the right place to plant a (orange, white and green) flag. The Encino-based firm had been touring office properties in the area since February, NAI executive vice president Tina LaMonica said in a statement, per Connect CRE. The new space “provides a world-class office environment” for the consulate “at the heart of the city,” thereby “making its essential services more accessible to the Indian American community across Southern California.”

The Los Angeles area has the second-largest population of Indian Americans in California after the Bay Area. The Indian consulate in San Francisco opened in 1957. Up until now, India was the only country with a world top-5 economy without a diplomatic office in L.A.

An opening date for the consulate is yet to be announced.

— Chris Malone Méndez