India inaugurates new state-of-the-art Consulate building in Shanghai

BEIJING: India on Sunday opened its new state-of-the-art Consulate building in Shanghai, marking its first relocation in 32 years in China’s main business hub.

The Shanghai Consulate caters to India’s burgeoning business community in the eastern region of China, home to top trade and business hubs like Yiwu, where a number of Indian businesses are present.

The sprawling new Chancery building at the prominent Dawning Centre in Changning District, covering 1,436.63 sqm -- more than double the size of the previous one -- was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat.

It will commence full operations from its new premises on December 8, a press release by the Consulate said.

Underlining the importance of the opening of the new Consulate for the first time since 1992, Rawat said this year remains special as India and China celebrated the 75th year of diplomatic ties.

Shanghai remains unique for its ties with India, now represented by a truly world-class international level Consulate General of India, he said, according to details provided by Indian officials.

Over 400 guests, including members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the Shanghai Municipal Government, and members of the Indian diaspora from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Nanjing, Yiwu, Keqiao and other cities under the Consulate’s jurisdiction were present at the opening, the press release said.

Consul General Pratik Mathur in his address reaffirmed the Consulate’s commitment to ensuring seamless services for Indian nationals and Chinese partners.

Thanking the Ministry of External Affairs and local Shanghai authorities for their support, he said the expansion enables the consolidation of consular, commercial, cultural, and administrative functions on a single, secure, modern floorplate. This, he said, will result in enhanced efficiency and improved public service delivery in providing seamless services for Indian nationals and Chinese partners.

Highlighting the significance of strengthening India’s oldest consular presence in mainland China, he added that the Dawning Centre’s location in the Hongqiao–Gubei foreign business corridor, home to several diplomatic missions and major multinational corporations, offers the Consulate an excellent strategic vantage point.

Its proximity to the Hongqiao transportation hub and the Gubei international community further supports the Consulate’s expanding engagement across East China, Mathur said in his speech posted on X.

Reflecting India’s broader approach to inclusive and people-centric governance, Mathur said that the move aligns with the spirit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.

The upgraded facilities, he added, embody this ethos by enabling better service delivery to the entire Indian community and all stakeholders engaging with the Consulate.

The opening also comes at a time of renewed dynamism in bilateral exchanges, he said, highlighting initiatives such as the recently opened direct flights between India and Shanghai, which will further strengthen trade, travel, and business linkages, making the enhanced capacity of the new Chancery particularly timely.

“As we step into this beautiful new chapter, let us together make this Chancery not just an office, but a vibrant hub of friendship, commerce, culture, and people-to-people ties between India and the Eastern China region,” he said.