NEW DELHI / WASHINGTON — India has come under scrutiny following reports that it engaged a U.S.-based lobbying firm to arrange high-level meetings for External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during last year’s brief military standoff with Pakistan.
According to the report, the Indian Embassy in Washington hired a lobbying firm during the peak of the May 2025 conflict, tasking it with seeking meetings and calls with senior U.S. officials, including the U.S. vice president, defence secretary, intelligence leadership and key figures within the White House and National Security Council.
The outreach reportedly took place on the very day a ceasefire between India and Pakistan was announced, and was described by the firm as being focused on discussions related to international media coverage of the conflict. Requests were also said to have been made for engagements involving senior Indian diplomatic officials and members of parliamentary delegations during visits to Washington in the weeks that followed.
The revelations have drawn attention because they appear to contrast with repeated statements by the government of India denying any third-party role in de-escalating the conflict. The ceasefire was publicly claimed by U.S. President Donald Trump as having been brokered by Washington, a claim India has consistently downplayed, while Pakistan has acknowledged U.S. involvement without seeking mediation itself.
The report further notes that arranging meetings through an external lobbying firm during an active conflict marked a departure from India’s usual diplomatic practice. Similar services were also reportedly used to facilitate meetings for other Indian political figures during subsequent U.S. visits.
The development has sparked debate over crisis diplomacy, transparency, and the behind-the-scenes efforts undertaken by governments during moments of heightened regional tension, particularly between two nuclear-armed neighbours.