'Misleading Post': MEA Fact-Checks Report On India's US Lobbying Arrangement

News india 'Misleading Post': MEA Fact-Checks Report On India's US Lobbying Arrangement

Last Updated:November 07, 2026, 21:28 IST

Report says US firm arranged eight phone calls between Indian government representatives and senior White House officials during May and June 2026 to discuss India-US relations.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) fact-checked news report on India’s engagement with a US lobbying firm, describing the coverage as misleading and saying that hiring such firms is a normal practice for foreign embassies in the United States.

In a post on X, the MEA said the Indian Embassy in Washington DC had been employing lobbying firms since 1948, adding 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," the ministry said.

The MEA also clarified the role of Mercury Public Affairs LLC, a separate US lobbying firm mentioned in connection with a social media post by US President Donald Trump.

“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 ministry said.

What Did The Report Said?

The report cited a filing under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by SHW Partners LLC, a lobbying firm headed by Donald Trump aide Jason Miller. According to the disclosure, the firm arranged eight phone calls between Indian government representatives and senior White House officials during May and June 2026 to discuss India-US relations.

The firm listed these conversations as part of its “political activities" undertaken on behalf of the Indian government. The officials named in the reported contacts included US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Deputy National Security Adviser Michael Needham and Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Gene Lange.

According to the reported filing, the calls took place before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India.

$150,000 Monthly Fee For SHW Partners

The reported disclosure said the Indian government had signed an agreement with SHW Partners in April 2025 and renewed the contract for another year in April 2026.

The firm was paid $150,000 per month under the arrangement, which came to an end on June 23 after Miller joined the Trump administration as a “special government employee".

The filing identified the Government of India as the firm’s client and India-US relations as the subject of the eight calls.

The disclosure indicated that the lobbying firm had helped facilitate communication between Indian government representatives and senior members of the Trump administration. However, the filing did not provide details of what was discussed during the conversations or whether they led to any specific outcomes.

Mercury Public Affairs Had A Separate Contract

A separate FARA disclosure involved Mercury Public Affairs LLC, which reportedly arranged Trump’s June post on Truth Social congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving prime minister.

The firm was retained separately at a monthly fee of $75,000.

In its clarification, the MEA specifically referred to Mercury Public Affairs and said its filing stated that the firm had only disseminated the post on X.

The ministry’s response also highlighted that hiring lobbying firms was not a new practice for the Indian Embassy in Washington DC, which, according to the MEA, had engaged such firms since 1948.

About the Author

Shuddhanta PatraSenior Sub-Editor

Shuddhanta Patra is an Indian journalist with about nine years of experience in covering national politics, geopolitics, defence, diplomacy and international affairs. Her reporting focuses on South As...Read More

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