(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson)

The Consulate General of Israel in Bengaluru (Bangalore), capital of the state of Karnataka in southern India, today (August 27, 2015) celebrated the inauguration of its permanent home.

In attendance were Israeli Ambassador to India, Mr. Daniel Carmon, and acting Consul General to Bengaluru, Dov Segev-Steinberg. Senior representatives of the Government of Karnataka honored the ceremony by their attendance, among them Minister of the Interior K. J. George, Minister for Infrastructure Development, Information and Haj R. Roshan Baig, and the Chief Secretary of Karnataka Kaushik Mukherjee. Among the other guests were representatives of the city's diplomatic, business, media, culture and academic communities, as well as the local Jewish and Israeli community.

Remarks by Ambassador Daniel Carmon and acting Consul General Dov Segev-Steinberg were followed by the lighting ceremony of a traditional Indian lamp by representatives of the Government of Karnataka, the affixing of the mezuzah, the unveiling of the embassy plaque, and traditional blessings over wine and bread. The festive event concluded with the cutting of the blue and white ribbon at the main entrance to the consulate offices.

The Consulate General in Bengaluru, officially opened in May 2013, is Israel's third diplomatic mission in India, after its embassy in Delhi and the consulate general in Mumbai. It is responsible for the South Indian states - Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka - and promotes relations between South India and Israel. Bengaluru is considered the "Silicon Valley" of India and its high-tech companies have extensive ties with Israeli companies.

The inauguration of its permanent home in Bengaluru is part of the ongoing efforts by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen relations between India and Israel.