Bhubaneswar, Sept 28: US Consul General Jennifer Larson traveled Odisha on her first official visit, outside Hyderabad from September 26-28.

After meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Consul General Larson continued her visit with stops at the Kala Bhoomi Crafts Museum,the Bakul Children’s Library, and KIIT University’s Technology Business Incubator. She also sampled Odia cuisine and met with local elected officials, business leaders, and beneficiaries of U.S. Government-sponsored cultural programs.

“This is both my first official trip outside Hyderabad and my first ever visit to Odisha,” said Consul General Larson. “From the broad sweep of history I saw at Kala Bhoomi to the young climate activists and entrepreneurs I met, it’s been a privilege to learn about Odisha’s past and sees the calibre of its future leaders. I look forward to coming back as we continue working together to expand the U.S.-India partnership in Odisha.”  

Consul General Larson arrived in Bhubaneswar on Monday afternoon. She met with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik that evening at his residence, after which she hosted a group of local business people to discuss U.S.-India commercial ties in Odisha.

On Tuesday, after meeting with local elected officials to discuss current events in the state, the Kala Bhoomi Crafts Museum hosted Consul General Larson for an exclusive tour of its grounds and exhibits. She then visited the Bakul Library, where she met with participants and alumni of U.S. Government-funded programs including the Climate Action Champions Network, the Young Climate Leaders Action Project, and the Tech Camp on Oceans. That evening she held a dinner with food curator Madhulika Dash to learn about and sample traditional Odia dishes.

On Wednesday, she met with a representative from the Voluntary Integration for Education and Welfare of Society (VIEWS), to whom the U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad has awarded a $50,000 grant to create a series of workshops to provide resources to journalists who cover climate change and environmental issues. She concluded her time Odisha with a visit to KIIT University’s Technology Tech Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI). There she joined KIIT-TBI CEO Dr. Mrutyunjay Suar for a roundtable with women entrepreneurs.

Consul General Larson began her tenure as U.S. Consul General in Hyderabad on September 12. With nearly twenty years of diplomatic experience, Consul General Larson most recently served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for India in Washington. She was most recently overseas as Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai from 2016-2020, the second-highest ranking official in the consulate.