Bengaluru, Feb 14 (IANS): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday stressed the need to open a US consulate in Bengaluru.

His statement came after meeting the US Charge d'Affaires Elizabeth Jones and Consul General in Chennai Zudith Revin here.

He said currently, the nearest US Consulate is in Chennai and it is causing problems for travellers from Bengaluru to the US, noting that on average, 5,000 people, including foreigners, travel from Bengaluru to the US.

Bommai said the government is extending cooperation to all the American companies working in Bengaluru. Since Karnataka is blessed with an industrial-friendly and investment-friendly atmosphere, there is more FDI.

Bengaluru has been the capital of startups and has the maximum number of unicorns in the entire country. Job opportunities are plentiful here. Karnataka has been at the forefront of the aerospace and defence sectors and plans are afoot to manufacture the spare parts of the aircraft.

"Bengaluru is the city of the future so there is a need to open the consulate office here," he reiterated, adding a lot of international events will be taking place in Bengaluru such as Global Investors Meet, Invest Karnataka, and symposiums, and international guests will come here to take part in them.

Jones said: "This is my first visit to the bustling city of Bengaluru, India's 'Silicon Valley'. Karnataka plays a significant role in advancing the US-India commercial partnership and alone hosts over 650 US companies, whose presence creates hundreds of thousands of jobs in India and the US.

"Our two economies are intertwined in countless ways. We are excited to further bolster the partnership between the US and Karnataka. Let me also take the opportunity to congratulate you and your cabinet colleagues on being ranked first yet again in the India Innovation Index."