United States Consulate General Kolkata

The consulate provides comprehensive visa services for Indian, Bangladeshi, and Bhutanese citizens traveling to the United States, including tourist visas (B-2) for experiencing America's diverse cultural and natural attractions, business visas (B-1) for textile industry partnerships, information technology collaboration, pharmaceutical business development, and participation in specialized trade missions, student visas (F-1) for accessing American higher education with established partnerships between regional universities and American institutions, work visas including H-1B for skilled professionals in information technology, engineering, pharmaceuticals, and financial services, and L-1 visas for intracompany transfers supporting the extensive Indian-American corporate relationships in the region's key industries. Specialized visa categories include E-2 investor visas for Indian and Bangladeshi entrepreneurs establishing American operations, particularly relevant given the region's strong business tradition and growing startup ecosystem, J-1 exchange visitor visas for academic and professional programs including partnerships with prestigious regional institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and Jadavpur University, and O-1 visas for individuals with extraordinary abilities in technology, business, arts, or sciences. The consulate coordinates closely with the region's extensive American business community including major IT services companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and textile exporters, supporting visa applications for technology transfer missions, pharmaceutical research collaborations, textile industry delegations, and business development initiatives across multiple sectors.

Eastern India represents exceptional investment opportunities for American companies seeking to access South Asia's rapidly growing markets, offering competitive costs, strategic location, skilled workforce, and government incentives for foreign investment. Priority investment sectors include information technology and digital services where Kolkata's IT sector has grown to over 300,000 employees and creates opportunities for American software companies, fintech firms, cybersecurity companies, and digital platform providers to establish cost-effective operations while accessing India's $200 billion IT services market; textiles and apparel manufacturing where West Bengal's textile industry generates over $8 billion annually and creates opportunities for American fashion brands, textile technology companies, sustainable manufacturing specialists, and supply chain management firms to access one of the world's largest textile production centers; pharmaceuticals and biotechnology where the region's pharmaceutical cluster creates opportunities for American pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and biotech firms to establish manufacturing and research operations while accessing India's $50 billion pharmaceutical market; food processing and agriculture technology where the region's agricultural production including tea, rice, and vegetables creates opportunities for American food processing companies, agricultural technology providers, and sustainable farming solution specialists; and logistics and transportation where Kolkata's position as Eastern India's logistics hub creates opportunities for American logistics companies, port technology providers, and supply chain management firms. The consulate provides comprehensive investment facilitation including coordination with Invest India and state investment promotion agencies which offer investment incentives up to 100% foreign direct investment in most sectors, assistance with site selection across West Bengal's industrial parks and special economic zones, support for accessing government incentive programs including production-linked incentive schemes worth over $26 billion across various sectors, and coordination with Indian development institutions that provide favorable financing for American companies establishing manufacturing and technology operations in Eastern India's strategic industrial corridors connecting to Bangladesh, Nepal, and Southeast Asian markets.

The consulate coordinates extensive cultural and educational programs that celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Eastern India and strengthen ties with America while fostering collaboration across academic, cultural, and professional sectors. Educational initiatives include partnerships with prestigious regional institutions including the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Jadavpur University, University of Calcutta, and Indian Statistical Institute that maintain active partnerships with American universities including MIT, Stanford, Harvard, and the University of California system, facilitating student exchanges, joint research programs, and technology transfer initiatives; support for specialized institutions including the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and regional engineering colleges that collaborate with American business schools and technical institutions; coordination with cultural institutions including Rabindra Bharati University and Visva-Bharati University (founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore) that maintain academic partnerships with American universities for cultural studies and humanities programs; and facilitation of educational exchange programs that bring thousands of Eastern Indian students to American universities annually while supporting American researchers at regional institutions. Cultural programs encompass support for major cultural festivals including Durga Puja (recognized by UNESCO) and Kali Puja that attract international participation, coordination with Kolkata's renowned cultural institutions including the Victoria Memorial, Indian Museum, and numerous theaters for American cultural performances and artistic exchanges, support for the Kolkata International Film Festival and literary festivals that showcase both Indian and American cultural works, and facilitation of American companies' cultural sponsorship programs that strengthen business relationships while supporting Eastern India's exceptional cultural landscape. Professional exchange programs include the International Visitor Leadership Program bringing over 200 Eastern Indian professionals annually to America for specialized training in information technology, healthcare, sustainable development, and democratic governance, while facilitating American professional exchanges to regional institutions for collaboration in areas like sustainable manufacturing, healthcare delivery, educational technology, and cultural preservation that leverage Eastern India's unique combination of traditional culture, intellectual heritage, and modern technological capabilities.