India has opened a brand-new Consulate building in Shanghai, shifting to a fresh location for the first time in 32 years. The new space is meant to support India’s fast-growing business community in eastern China, especially in cities like Yiwu, where many Indian traders work.

The new Consulate is located in the Dawning Centre in Changning District and covers 1,436.63 square metres, more than double the size of the old office. Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat inaugurated the building on Sunday. It will begin full operations from December 8, the Consulate said in a statement.

Rawat said the opening is important not just because of the relocation but also because India and China completed 75 years of diplomatic ties this year. He noted that Shanghai has always had a special place in these relations, now reflected in a “truly world-class international level Consulate General of India.”

More than 400 guests attended the event, including diplomats, Shanghai government officials, and members of the Indian community from several cities under the Consulate’s jurisdiction.

Consul General Pratik Mathur said the new office will help the Consulate offer smoother services to both Indians and Chinese partners. He thanked the Ministry of External Affairs and Shanghai authorities for their support in expanding the facility.

Mathur explained that the new design allows consular, commercial, cultural, and administrative work to take place on one secure and modern floor. This, he said, will improve efficiency and make public services faster and easier.

He also pointed out that the Dawning Centre sits in the Hongqiao–Gubei foreign business corridor, an area where many diplomatic missions and multinational companies are based. Its closeness to the Hongqiao travel hub and the Gubei international community will help the Consulate connect better with people across East China.

Mathur said the move reflects India’s people-first approach to governance and aligns with the vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.”

The new Consulate has been launched at a time when India and China are seeing fresh activity in exchanges. Mathur mentioned the newly opened direct flights between India and Shanghai, which are expected to boost travel, business, and trade.

“As we step into this beautiful new chapter, let us together make this Chancery not just an office, but a vibrant hub of friendship, commerce, culture, and people-to-people ties between India and the Eastern China region,” he said.