New Indian consulates planned at Seattle, Atlanta

• The new big ideas between India and the US could be exchanges in education and cooperation in space, even as the Ministry of External Affairs, on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the US from November 22-26, prepares the ground for the opening of new Indian consulates in Atlanta and Seattle.
• The government is keen that the US finishes its paperwork, including those related to property and taxation, enabling the PM to announce the opening of the two consulates in the US. Officials said such an announcement would tie in with Singh’s avowed desire to promote “people-to-people interaction” between India and the US.