CHANCERIESTHE DIPLOMATIC ATLAS

Embassy of the Republic of India

Diplomatic history and full roster

Embassy of the Republic of India

2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

The 1901 Depew House and its cream-colored neighbor form a connected chancery. India acquired Depew House in 1946; their rear wings open onto Hillyer Court.

FactValueBasis and sources
Constructed1885verified; The official embassy history dates one of the two connected chancery houses to 1885, with added floors in 1907, and the adjoining Depew House to 1901. This database row covers both standing connected houses, so 1885 is the earliest original completion year in its defined scope. The connected houses also include construction phases dated 1901 and 1907.
  1. indianembassyusa.gov.in
Acquired by India1946verified; Official history explicitly identifies the 1946 acquisition of Depew House and connection to the other building. Purchase dates for the individual cadastral parcels remain unresolved.
  1. www.indianembassyusa.gov.in
NeighborhoodDupont Circleverified; Geographic neighborhood. The OTR tax neighborhood is Old City 2.
    ArchitectChase & Ames (1901 house)verified; Attribution scoped by construction phase.
    1. sah-archipedia.org
    Rooms50–100 est.estimated; A deliberately broad editorial range based on the evidenced 37,984 sq ft (3,528.83 m²) combined CAMA area, two historic mansions with several visible levels, large formal rooms and office conversion. Allow 45–65% of gross area as room floor area and approximately 23–33 m² per average occupiable room after larger formal spaces and smaller office/service rooms balance. The calculation yields 48–100 rooms, rounded to a published estimate of 50–100. Replace it with an official inventory if obtained.
    1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
    Floor area38,000 sq ftverified; Sum of two commercial CAMA LIVING_GBA fields. The total uses the assessor’s LIVING_GBA field; usable office area is unknown.
    1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
    Site area13,500 sq ftverified; Sum of nonoverlapping estate parcels: 0066/0835, 0066/0834. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded.
    1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
    2026 Value$18.0Mverified; Sum of nonoverlapping estate parcels: 0066/0835, 0066/0834. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value.
    1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov

    Complete property record

    Indian Ambassador’s Residence

    2700 Macomb Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

    India House occupies a wooded Cleveland Park estate. Built in 1914 and enlarged in 1930, the former Kaufman and Schoellkopf home became India’s official residence in 1945.

    FactValueBasis and sources
    Constructed1914verified; Historic district nomination and preservation history prevail over conflicting CAMA AYB 1960 and EYB 2008.
    1. planning.dc.gov
    Acquired by India1945verified; Ward 3 Heritage Guide and DC Writers Homes. The principal residence acquisition/use year is not asserted for every later parcel component.
    1. planning.dc.gov
    2. www.historicchevychasedc.org
    NeighborhoodCleveland Parkverified; Historic district and geographic name. The OTR assessment neighborhood, Forest Hills, is a separate classification.
      ArchitectFrederick B. Pyle; Ward Brown (1930)verified; Attribution scoped by construction phase.
      1. planning.dc.gov
      Rooms24verified; Current DC residential CAMA ROOMS for the identified dwelling; this assessor count is distinct from bedrooms, bathrooms or the number of modeled room studies.
      1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
      Floor area16,600 sq ftverified; Residential CAMA GBA field for the principal house; one building record. Do not substitute the commercial listing figure of 23,826 sq ft total building area without reconciling its basis.
      1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
      Estate area252,183 sq ftverified; Three contiguous Government or Republic of India parcels: 2216/0804, 2218/0819 and 2218/0820. Principal parcel 240,377 sq ft plus western access/edge parcels of 9,205 and 2,601 sq ft.
      1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
      2. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
      2026 Value$17.8Mverified; Sum of nonoverlapping estate parcels: 2216/0804, 2218/0819, 2218/0820. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value.
      1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
      Site area252,200 sq ftverified; Sum of nonoverlapping estate parcels: 2216/0804, 2218/0819, 2218/0820. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded.
      1. maps2.dcgis.dc.gov

      Complete property record

      Historic Moments

      Missions become embassies

      1946-10-22

      India and the United States agree to exchange ambassadors and raise their missions to embassy rank, establishing the framework before Indian independence the following year.

      Nehru arrives in Washington

      1949-10-11

      Harry Truman welcomes Jawaharlal Nehru at Washington National Airport. The prime minister’s visit brings independent India’s outlook directly to the American president.

      Arms arrive by air

      November 1962

      During the border war with China, American aircraft carry military supplies to India. Emergency assistance draws Washington and New Delhi closer while testing American relations with Pakistan.

      Food aid and difficult choices

      1966-03-29

      Indira Gandhi and Lyndon Johnson discuss emergency food supplies after drought in India. American grain helps meet urgent needs, while conditions on aid expose differences over development and foreign policy.

      Nuclear tests bring sanctions

      1998-05-13

      India’s nuclear tests trigger American sanctions on aid, military sales, and finance. Months of negotiations follow as the two governments try to contain the dispute and rebuild cooperation.

      A civil nuclear agreement

      2008-10-10

      Condoleezza Rice and Pranab Mukherjee sign the civil nuclear cooperation agreement in Washington, marking a major change in the two countries’ strategic relationship.

      Chiefs of Mission

      DiplomatOfficeRecorded serviceStatus
      Sripriya RanganathanChargé d’affaires2024 (documented service)Former
      Taranjit Singh SandhuAmbassador2020–2024Former
      Harsh Vardhan ShringlaAmbassador2019–2020Former
      Santosh JhaChargé d’affaires2019 (acting periods)Former
      Navtej SarnaAmbassador2016–2018Former
      Taranjit Singh SandhuChargé d’affaires2016 (appointed)Former
      Arun K. SinghAmbassador2015–2016Former
      Taranjit Singh SandhuChargé d’affaires2015 (documented service)Former
      S. JaishankarAmbassador2013–2015Former
      Taranjit Singh SandhuChargé d’affaires2013 (documented service)Former
      Nirupama RaoAmbassador2011–2013Former
      Arun K. SinghChargé d’affaires2011 (documented service)Former
      Meera ShankarAmbassador2009–2011Former
      Ronen SenAmbassador2004–2009Former
      Lalit MansinghAmbassador2001–2004Former
      Naresh ChandraAmbassador1996–2001Former
      S. S. RayAmbassador1992–1996Former
      Abid HussainAmbassador1990–1992Former
      Karan SinghAmbassador1989–1990Former
      P. K. KaulAmbassador1986–1989Former
      K. Shankar BajpaiAmbassador1984–1986Former
      P. L. SinaiChargé d’affaires1984 (appointed)Former
      K. R. NarayananAmbassador1980–1984Former
      A. N. D. HaksarChargé d’affaires1980 (appointed)Former
      Nani A. PalkhivalaAmbassador1977–1979Former
      Kewal SinghAmbassador1976–1977Former
      T. N. KaulAmbassador1973–1976Former
      M. RasgotraChargé d’affaires1971 (documented service)Former
      L. K. JhaAmbassador1970–1973Former
      M. RasgotraChargé d’affaires1970 (documented service)Former
      Ali Yavar JungAmbassador1968–1970Former
      P. K. BanerjeeChargé d’affaires1965 (documented service)Former
      B. K. NehruAmbassador1961–1968Former
      M. C. ChaglaAmbassador1958–1961Former
      I. J. Bahadur SinghChargé d’affaires1953 (documented service)Former
      Gaganvihari L. MehtaAmbassador1952–1958Former
      Binay Ranjan SenAmbassador1951–1952Former
      M. K. KirpalaniChargé d’affaires1951 (acting periods)Former
      Vijaya Lakshmi PanditAmbassador1949–1951Former
      Benegal Rama RauAmbassador1948–1949Former
      R. K. NehruChargé d’affaires1948 (documented service)Former
      Binay Ranjan SenChargé d’affaires1948–1950 (acting periods)Former
      Asaf AliAmbassador1947–1948Former
      Girja Shankar BajpaiChargé d’affaires1946–1947Former
      Girja Shankar BajpaiAgent-General1941–1946Former
      Vinay KwatraAmbassador2024–PresentCurrent