NEW DELHI: American lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs has said in its public disclosure that a social media post by United States President Donald Trump congratulating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming India's longest-serving prime minister in June was among the work it had executed as part of its monthly retainership with the Indian embassy, Indian media reported on Saturday.
Lobbying in US politics is the practice of individuals or interest groups attempting to influence legislative, executive or regulatory decisions made by government officials. After Trump was elected for his second term in January 2025, the Indian embassy in Washington hired two major lobbying firms headed by individuals considered a part of the US president's inner circle, the report said.
One of the firms was Mercury Public Affairs, signed at a monthly retainer of $75,000, with Bryan Lanza, the communications director for Trump's transition team. A presidential transition team is the organisation formed by a president-elect after winning an election to prepare for taking over the executive branch of the US government.
Susie Wiles, Trump's former chief of staff, was also a registered lobbyist with the firm until late 2024. The company disclosed the information about its retainership in its filing to the United States Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The Act requires people and organisations who lobby, or act on behalf of foreign governments, parties or principals, to make public disclosure of their relationship, activities and financial compensation. The other lobbying firm that the Indian embassy hired was SHW Partners LLC, headed by Trump's aide Jason Miller.
The embassy's contract with Miller involved a monthly payout of $150,000, or approximately Rs1.4 crore, the report added. The scope of the company's work included "strategic counsel, tactical planning and government relations assistance on policy matters before the US government, the US Congress, state governments, academic institutions, think tanks, and other relevant stakeholders", the newspaper quoted its filing as stating.
SHW Partners LLC also stated that it arranged phone calls between New Delhi and senior US government officials in May, ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to India. The company also reportedly listed two embassy events with Rubio on May 23 and May 24, when he was in India and attended the "America@250" events hosted by the US embassy.
Miller was also in New Delhi at the same time, the newspaper reported. Sharing the report on social media, Congress Media Coordinator Harmeet Kaur asked "what exactly are Indian taxpayers receiving in return" for the Union government spending $225,000, or more than Rs2.1 crore, monthly on American lobbying firms.
"What's the need of a paid congratulatory social media post from the US president?" asked Kaur. Political analysts in New Delhi have noted that such lobbying efforts are common among major global economies seeking to maintain close diplomatic ties with Washington, yet the explicit financial link to routine social media goodwill gestures has sparked domestic debate.