- MEA calls report on India's US lobbying misleading.
- Hiring lobbying firms common diplomatic practice since 1948.
- Lobbying firms arranged calls and disseminated social media posts.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has called a report detailing India's engagement with US lobbying firms misleading, saying that hiring such agencies is a common diplomatic practice in the United States. The ministry also clarified the role of one of the firms in connection with a social media post by US President Donald Trump.
In a post on X on Saturday, the MEA said the Indian Embassy in Washington DC had been employing lobbying firms since 1948 and that details of these arrangements were available in the public domain.
This post is misleading. It is a normal practice in the US for Embassies and other entities to hire a lobby firm. Indian Embassy in Washington DC has hired such firms since 1948. These details are available in the public domain. In so far the filing done by Mercury Public Affairs LLC is concerned, it clearly mentions that they only disseminated the post on X.
— MEA FactCheck (@MEAFactCheck) November 7, 2026
“This post is misleading. It is a normal practice in the US for Embassies and other entities to hire a lobby firm. Indian Embassy in Washington DC has hired such firms since 1948. These details are available in the public domain," the ministry said.
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The clarification followed a report based on US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) disclosures, which detailed the activities and payments of two lobbying firms, SHW Partners LLC and Mercury Public Affairs LLC, hired by the Indian government.
What Did The Report Said?
According to the FARA filing, SHW Partners, headed by Trump aide Jason Miller, arranged eight phone calls between Indian government representatives and senior White House officials in May and June 2026 to discuss India-US relations.
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The officials named included US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Deputy National Security Adviser Michael Needham, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Gene Lange, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.
The calls took place before and after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to India in May. The filing did not disclose the specific discussions or their outcomes.
USD 1,50,000 Monthly Fee For SHW Partners
The Indian government signed an agreement with SHW Partners in April 2025 and renewed it for another year in April 2026. The firm received USD 150,000 per month for providing strategic counsel, planning and government relations assistance.
The contract ended on June 23 after Miller joined the Trump administration as a special government employee.
What Was Mercury Public Affairs' Role?
A separate FARA disclosure involved Mercury Public Affairs, which was retained at a monthly fee of USD 75,000. Its filing listed Trump's June social media post congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming India's longest-serving prime minister among the activities undertaken for the Indian government.
Addressing this, the MEA said, “In so far the filing done by Mercury Public Affairs LLC is concerned, it clearly mentions that they only disseminated the post on X.”
The two firms' reported monthly retainers together amounted to USD 2,25,000.