Sewa Pakhwada, observed from 17 September to 2 October, is an occasion to reaffirm the values of public service, collective responsibility and community participation. For us at the Consulate General of India, New York, the spirit of sewa is reflected in our everyday work: making consular services more accessible and responsive, engaging closely with the Indian diaspora, supporting students and businesses, and strengthening the many connections that bind India and the United States.
A key priority for the Consulate has been to make consular services more modern, convenient and citizen friendly. The Government of India has introduced several technology-driven improvements, including the rollout of e-Passports with embedded electronic chips, enhancing both security and convenience. The Consulate continues to facilitate timely delivery of passports, visas, OCI cards, attestations and other services, while maintaining dedicated arrangements to assist Indian nationals in emergencies. In another important step towards bringing services closer to the community, new Indian Consular Application Centres have been opened in Edison, New Jersey, and Columbus, Ohio, improving accessibility for applicants across our jurisdiction.
This emphasis on citizen-centric service is part of a broader transformation taking place in India. Technology and digital public infrastructure are increasingly being leveraged to make governance more accessible, inclusive and responsive. As of 31 July 2026, the Government’s UMANG platform, which brings a wide range of Central and State Government services onto a single digital interface, offered around 2,575 services, while DigiLocker had more than 724.3 million registered users. Initiatives such as BHASHINI are further helping overcome linguistic barriers by enabling multilingual and voice-based access to digital services. Together, these initiatives demonstrate how technology is being used to deliver public services at scale while bringing government closer to citizens.
India is also sharing its experience in digital transformation with partners around the world. As of July 2026, the Government of India had signed Digital Public Infrastructure cooperation arrangements with 24 countries to facilitate the sharing of successful population-scale digital solutions. This reflects an important dimension of India’s international partnerships, with a focus on sharing scalable and inclusive solutions that can be adapted to local requirements and contribute to more efficient and accessible public-service delivery.
The same spirit of service and partnership guides our efforts to strengthen India–U.S. trade and investment ties. The Consulate regularly engages with businesses, investors, industry associations and institutions across its jurisdiction to connect Indian companies, including MSMEs, with opportunities in the United States. The India–USA Trade Facilitation Portal is one such initiative aimed at helping Indian exporters better understand the U.S. market. We also facilitate interactions with buyers, retailers and prospective partners, helping businesses navigate market standards, supply-chain requirements and commercial opportunities. Our objective is to create stronger pathways for trade, investment, technology partnerships and innovation between our two countries.
Education and knowledge partnerships constitute another important pillar of our engagement. Indian students form a significant part of the international student community in the United States, and the Consulate works closely with universities and Indian student associations on student welfare, orientation and institutional linkages. At the same time, we are encouraging deeper collaboration between leading institutions in both countries. A recent example is the partnership between Columbia University and IIT Bombay in artificial intelligence and manufacturing, illustrating the growing possibilities for India–U.S. cooperation in advanced research, emerging technologies and innovation.
Our engagement also extends to the second- and third-generation Indian-American community. Through cultural programs, youth interactions, professional networks and community outreach, we seek to deepen their connection with India while creating opportunities for engagement in education, innovation, entrepreneurship and other areas of mutual interest. The younger generation of Indian Americans has an important role to play in carrying forward the strong people-to-people relationship between our two countries.
The Indian diaspora remains one of the strongest and most enduring bridges between India and the United States. Its accomplishments across business, technology, academia, medicine, public service and many other fields have enriched both societies. Sewa Pakhwada is therefore not only an occasion to celebrate the idea of service, but also to renew our commitment to putting it into practice through responsive consular services, citizen-centric governance, stronger economic and educational partnerships, and sustained engagement with our community.
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