India has inaugurated a new, larger consulate building in Shanghai, its first move in more than three decades, in a sign of growing economic and people-to-people ties with China. The state-of-the-art chancery, located on the Dawning Centre in the city’s Changning district, was formally opened over the weekend by India’s Ambassador to China, Pradeep Kumar Rawat. Nearly 400 guests attended, including Chinese local government officials, foreign diplomats and members of the Indian community from across eastern China.
The new premises occupy the entire sixth floor, 1,436 sq m of space, more than double the size of the consulate’s previous office in the Shanghai International Trade Centre, which it has used since 1993. Consul General Pratik Mathur described the move as a “significant milestone” for India’s oldest consular post in mainland China, established in 1950. He thanked the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Shanghai authorities for their support, and said the expanded facility would allow all consular, commercial, cultural and administrative services to operate from one secure, modern floor.
The Dawning Centre sits in the Hongqiao-Gubei business corridor, an area popular with multinational companies and several foreign missions. Its location close to Hongqiao international airport and railway station is expected to make it easier for Indian citizens and Chinese business visitors to access consular services.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mathur linked the upgrade to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of inclusive development, “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” (Together with all, Development for all), saying the new building would deliver faster and better services to the Indian diaspora and Chinese partners alike.
The timing is notable. India-China relations have gradually warmed since military tensions along their Himalayan border eased in late 2024. Recent months have seen the resumption of direct flights between Indian cities and Shanghai, increased issuance of business visas and growing two-way trade. The consulate, which covers Shanghai and Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Nanjing, Yiwu, and Keqiao, serves many members of the Indian community, many of them professionals and students, as well as thousands of Chinese companies doing business with India. Full operations at the new chancery will begin on Monday, 8 December 2025.
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