Maintaining a strong relationship with the US government is not just about diplomatic meetings between leaders. Behind the scenes, countries also hire American firms to help them communicate with politicians, government officials and influential groups in Washington.
India hired two such lobbying firms after Donald Trump returned to the White House. Together, the companies were set to receive $225,000 every month, or around ₹1.9 crore, for helping India engage with the US administration.
Now, a recent filing by one of these firms has revealed details of its work. SHW Partners LLC reported eight phone calls involving senior White House officials and Indian government representatives during May and June 2026. The discussions were focused on India-US relations.
The filing also mentions diplomatic programmes involving US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit to India.
Eight Calls With Senior US Officials
According to the documents submitted by SHW Partners LLC under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act, eight calls took place between Indian representatives and senior officials in the Trump administration during May and June.
Some of the calls were arranged in May, ahead of Rubio’s visit to India. The officials mentioned in the filing included US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Deputy National Security Adviser Michael Needham and Jean Lang, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
More discussions followed in June, after Rubio’s visit. These calls involved US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, presidential policy adviser Walker Barrett and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.
The purpose of these conversations was to discuss matters related to India-US relations.
SHW Partners LLC is associated with Jason Miller, a close ally of US President Donald Trump and a company chairman.
India hired Miller’s company in April 2025 to help strengthen its engagement with the Trump administration. The agreement was extended for another year in April 2026.
However, the arrangement ended on June 23, 2026, after Miller joined the Trump administration as a Special Government Employee.
Under the agreement, the Indian Embassy in Washington was paying the company $150,000 every month, which is approximately ₹1.25 crore.
The company’s responsibilities included advising India on policy matters and helping it maintain contact with different parts of the American government. This included the US administration, Congress, state governments, universities, research institutions and think tanks.
In simple terms, the company was expected to help India build relationships with people and institutions that could influence decisions in the US.
The SHW Partners report also refers to two diplomatic programmes organised around May 23 and 24 with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio was in India from May 23 to May 26 and took part in programmes organised by the US Embassy as part of the ‘America @250’ initiative.
Jason Miller was also in New Delhi during this period.
These details offer another glimpse into the activities carried out by the lobbying firm as part of its work for India.
SHW Partners was not the only American firm hired by the Indian Embassy. India also appointed Mercury Public Affairs to help with its engagement in Washington.
The firm was to receive $75,000 every month.
One of the people associated with its team was Brian Lanza, who had earlier served as communications director for Trump’s transition team. Susie Wiles, who served as Trump’s Chief of Staff, was also registered as a lobbyist with the firm until the end of 2024.
Mercury Public Affairs also referred to a post made by Trump on X in its filing. In the post, Trump congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June for becoming India’s longest-serving Prime Minister.
Together, the two agreements meant monthly payments of $225,000 to the firms.
The details have become public because of a US law called the Foreign Agents Registration Act, commonly known as FARA.
Under this law, people and organisations working in the US on behalf of foreign governments or interests have to disclose certain details about their activities. This includes the work they undertake, their dealings with government officials and the money they receive.
These disclosures help make the activities of foreign representatives and lobbying firms more transparent.
Another development in the Trump administration is the reported appointment of Stephen Miller as the new White House Chief of Staff.
Miller, 41, is known for his role in shaping Trump’s strict immigration policies. According to the details provided, he is expected to take over the position from Susie Wiles on November 9.
The appointment comes shortly after the midterm elections, in which the Republican Party lost control of the US Congress.
While this leadership change is separate from India’s lobbying agreements, it marks another change within the Trump administration at a time when India is seeking to maintain strong engagement with Washington.
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