India’s embassy has signed a 12-month, $1.8 million contract with Washington-based lobbying firm SHW Partners LLC to strengthen outreach to the Trump administration. The deal, disclosed in a June 17 filing with the US Department of Justice, aims to facilitate high-level meetings, media engagement, and strategic policy discussions.
According to the filing, SHW Partners provides “strategic counsel, tactical planning, and government relations assistance on policy matters before the US Government, US Congress, state governments, academic institutions, think tanks, and any other relevant stakeholders.” The firm, headed by President Donald Trump, specifically hired former spokesperson Jason Miller in April 2025 to lobby on India’s behalf.
SHW Partners helped Indian officials connect with influential Trump administration figures following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and May’s Operation Sindoor. Key contacts included White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby, and former National Security Council official Ricky Gill.
The firm also arranged an interview for Ambassador Vinay Kwatra with Fox News anchor Brett Baier shortly after Operation Sindoor began. In June, SHW facilitated meetings between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and senior US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
During July and August 2025, the lobbying firm further organized meetings with White House officials, the US Trade Representative, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to discuss ongoing US-India trade negotiations.
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