Is hiring lobby firms common in diplomacy? | Explained

The story so far: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) faced uncomfortable questions this week as filings with the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) showed that the Indian Embassy in Washington used an American lobby firm for unconventional tasks normally done by diplomats. Among other things, the firm fixed meetings for Minister S. Jaishankar and other Indian officials with U.S. leadership, and helped contact the White House during Operation Sindoor and trade talks.

Why does India need to hire lobby firms?

In order to deal with the U.S. government and legislature, hiring lobby firms and advocacy groups is common practice for embassies, business establishments and private organisations. The Indian Embassy in Washington has hired dozens of different firms known as “K-Street” for the street in the U.S. capital they are located, since 1949. For the last few years, the Embassy had focused on three agencies: Republican Party-linked BGR Government Affairs, Democrat Party-linked Cornerstone Government Affairs, and the African American caucus-linked Williams Group (terminated in 2025). In 2025, after the swearing-in of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Embassy hired three more, including two closely linked to Trump associates — SHW LLC headed by former Trump spokesperson and campaign strategist Jason Miller, and Mercury Public Affairs, where White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was earlier co-chair. SHW LLC was contracted for $1.8 million (₹16 crore) or $1,50,000 a month.

Why are latest filings by SHW LLC unusual?

While filings by all the other firms registered and mandated under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), were routine, a supplementary statement filed in December 2025 by SHW LLC has drawn the most comment. It detailed about 60 entries where it had been asked by the Indian Embassy to contact top officials in the Trump administration to discuss bilateral issues as well as the India-Pakistan conflict from May 7-10. The firm was hired on April 24, following Mr. Trump’s call to PM Narendra Modi to express his condolences over the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. While the MEA has consistently denied Mr. Trump’s subsequent claims that he mediated an end to the conflict, Mr. Miller, the sole principal at SHW records four calls, including three to White House officials and one to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on May 10, the day of the ceasefire, to “discuss media coverage of Operation Sindoor” that have not thus far been explained. In June, he records making calls to fix meetings for a number of Indian officials including Mr. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and the parliamentary delegation led by Shashi Tharoor, with top U.S. leadership like Vice-President J.D. Vance, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA chief John Ratcliffe.

Later in the year, as 50% tariffs over Indian import of Russian oil came into focus, SHW was tasked with many more calls over the trade deal, as well as to “flag the White House” on social media posts by Mr. Modi in praise of Mr. Trump. The Hindu spoke to several officials and diplomats who said the entries were startling, as such tasks were undertaken by the Indian Embassy, not a foreign lobbyist.

Does Pakistan also use lobby firms?

Yes. According to filings, Pakistan retained at least six lobby firms, spending approximately $6,00,000 a month, about 2-3 times more than India. These firms were tasked with preparing and distributing briefs to promote Pakistan’s version of Op Sindoor, as well as its Financial Action Task Force commitments and Kashmir. One lobby firm, Gunster Strategies, hired by Pakistan’s Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi, set up meetings with congressional members for a visit in January 2025, while others showed a major uptick in outreaches to congressional members in the aftermath of the conflict.

How does the MEA explain the filings?

To a detailed questionnaire sent by The Hindu, the Indian Embassy spokesperson said that “it is a standard practice for embassies, private and business organisations in the U.S. to hire the services of lobbyists and consultants to augment outreach.” The MEA and the Embassy, however, did not explain why the tasks of diplomats to set up key meetings were outsourced, or why the calls on May 10 were made. Also unanswered is the question of how effective such firms are. India and the U.S. have conflicting narratives over Operation Sindoor. The U.S. imposed 50% of tariffs on Indian goods, with the threat of a further 500% in tariffs due to the Russia Sanctions Act. The India-U.S. trade deal is also yet to be finalised.