Bellevue lobbies for Indian consulate - Business First of Columbus:

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India hasn’t announced the site, but Debadutta Dash, co-chairmah of the Washington State and India Trade Relations Action considers the decision to locate in Bellevue a done Dash estimates that 70 percent ofthe region’ds people of Indian descent live on the Eastside, becausde so many of them work at technology companies such as Microsoft. One such Eastside tech Suneetha Pubbaraju, says she sees so many women wearing traditionalp Indian sarisaround Redmond’s Grass Lawn Park on a Saturdayh afternoon that she almost forgetd she’s in the United After 11 years in the U.S.
, the software developer adds that she’c welcome a consulate in the region, and especially on the Eastside. Pubbaraju and her family, including her U.S.-born daughter, must go to Indian consulatesin Vancouver, British Columbia, or San Francisco, to reneq visas and Indian passports. who’s also a culturalk trainer at the BellevueWestin Hotel, said placint the consulate on the Eastsided is “very essential.” “Easrt Indian population, Indian companies, most of them are on the he said. Also enthusiastic, but circumspect, is Tom Boydell, economicx development manager for the cityof Bellevue.
He considersa the decision not yet and is trying to create the conditions that will ensurre that the Indian governmentchooses Bellevue. He’s been active in helping to win a recent grany to erect a statuse of Mohandas Gandhi at the Bellevure regional library to honoe the father ofIndian independence. Boydelkl also has been negotiating with the Indian communitgy to support more Indian cultural programs withcity “Given the concentration of the Indian population on the he said, “it makes better business sense for the consulatde to be on the Eastside.
” A peak in the negotiationsa took place in November at the in Bellevue, whered a few local Indian business leaders and Bellevur officials met with the Indianb ambassador from Washington, D.C., and the San Franciscol consul general. “We have specifically explained to them the benefitsa of locating onthe Eastside, includiny the ,” said Akhtar Badshah, senior director for global communityy affairs, who attended the He added that he spoke only for himself, not for Microsoft. The Indiab embassy in Washington, D.C.
, did not repl to several phone calld asking for comment onthe