Formation 19 November 1792 | ||
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Inaugural holder Benjamin Joy
as American Consul to India Website | ||
The Consulate General of the United States in Kolkata represents the interests of the United States government in Kolkata (previously known as Calcutta), India and nearby surrounding areas. The Consulate General serves the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
Technically, the consulate reports through the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. The U.S Consulate in Calcutta is the U.S. Department of State’s second oldest Consulate and dates from November 19, 1792.
History
The Metropolitan Building in Kolkata housed the United States Information Service office till 1991. The official representation of the U.S. government in India began in November 1792, when United States's first President, George Washington, nominated Benjamin Joy, of Massachusetts, to be consul. In the 1860s, the Consulate General had under its jurisdiction seven consular agencies: Aden, Akyab, Bassein, Chittagong, Cocanada, Moulmein and Rangoon.
During the Vietnam War, the street outside the consulate was renamed after Ho Chi Minh. In 1995, British journalist John F. Burns characterized it as "one of the most beleaguered American diplomatic posts anywhere."
An increase in the number of information technology companies in India is leading to an expansion of the Consulate.