On 21 October, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia – accompanied by the Ambassador of Italy to India Vincenzo de Luca and the Consul General Alfonso Tagliaferri – inaugurated the offices of the new Consulate General of Italy in Bangalore. The new Italian diplomatic post will have consular jurisdiction over the south-eastern territory of India, which includes the States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The Consulate General will provide assistance to the Italian community residing and passing through, as well as to Italian companies interested in the promising and immense Indian market; it will also curate cultural, academic, and scientific promotion of Italy in a city, Bangalore, which has been India’s “Silicon Valley” for several years now. Moreover, the Consulate will process at least 20-30 thousand visa applications per year.
The offices, housed in a modern building located in the city center, have been specifically renovated to ensure an efficient environment with a contemporary, pleasant, and welcoming feel. Most of the Italian furniture has been donated by major local importers, interested in exhibiting the best of Italian design in what intends to become Italy’s hub in Southern India: in fact, the offices of the Italian Trade Agency, the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Uni-Italia have found space inside the Consulate General. A Scientific Attaché is also expected to arrive next year.
The renovation project and its aims are well illustrated in the short video.
