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India paid US lobbying firm $75,000 a month to feature Modi in Trump's Truth Social post
Daily Sun Report, Dhaka
Published: 09 Nov 2026, 01:49 PM
Indian PM Narendra Modi during a meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France on on June 17, 2026 and Trump's social media post on Modi in June, 2026 in the foreground. Photo: PTI and Truth Social. Photo: The Wire with Canva.
A US lobbying firm hired by the Indian government for a monthly fee of $75,000 organised US President Donald Trump's Truth Social post congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming India's longest-serving prime minister, according to documents filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Mercury Public Affairs, which has links to people close to Trump, disclosed the activity in its FARA filings, according to a report by The Indian Express.
The firm was hired after Trump's re-election, with Bryan Lanza, communications director of Trump's transition team, among its core members. Susie Wiles, Trump's outgoing chief of staff, was also registered as a lobbyist with Mercury until late 2024, the report by Divya A. said.
Among the activities listed in its filings, Mercury included Trump's June post on X congratulating Modi on becoming India's longest-serving prime minister.
Separately, SHW Partners LLC, headed by Trump aide Jason Miller, disclosed that it had arranged eight phone calls between Indian government representatives and senior White House officials in May and June.
The firm's latest FARA filing described the calls as part of its "political activities", saying they focused on India-US relations, the report said.
India hired Miller's firm in April 2025 and extended the contract for another year in April 2026. The contract was terminated on 23 June after Miller joined the Trump administration as a "special government employee".
The Indian Embassy in Washington had signed the agreement with SHW Partners for a monthly fee of $150,000.
According to the documents, the contract covered strategic advice, tactical planning and government relations support on policy matters involving the US government, Congress, state governments, academic institutions, think tanks and other relevant stakeholders.
Under FARA, agents representing foreign principals in political activities must periodically disclose their relationships with clients, the work they undertake and the compensation they receive.
The filings also detailed the phone calls arranged by Miller's firm in May, before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to India. These included discussions between Indian representatives and White House officials such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Deputy National Security Adviser Michael Needham and Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Gene Lange.
Following Rubio's visit, further calls were arranged in June with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Trump's assistant for policy Walker Barrett and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.
Source: The Wire