The story so far: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) faced uncomfortable questions this week as filings with the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) showed that the Indian Embassy in Washington used an American lobby firm for unconventional tasks normally done by diplomats. Among other things, the firm fixed meetings for Minister S. Jaishankar and other Indian officials with U.S. leadership, and helped contact the White House during Operation Sindoor and trade talks.
Why does India need to hire lobby firms?
In order to deal with the U.S. government and legislature, hiring lobby firms and advocacy groups is common practice for embassies, business establishments and private organisations. The Indian Embassy in Washington has hired dozens of different firms known as “K-Street” for the street in the U.S. capital they are located, since 1949. For the last few years, the Embassy had focused on three agencies: Republican Party-linked BGR Government Affairs, Democrat Party-linked Cornerstone Government Affairs, and the African American caucus-linked Williams Group (terminated in 2025). In 2025, after the swearing-in of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Embassy hired three more, including two closely linked to Trump associates — SHW LLC headed by former Trump spokesperson and campaign strategist Jason Miller, and Mercury Public Affairs, where White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was earlier co-chair. SHW LLC was contracted for $1.8 million (₹16 crore) or $1,50,000 a month.
