India Paid US Lobbying Firm $75,000 Monthly to Arrange Trump’s Modi Post
FARA filings show Mercury Public Affairs and SHW Partners handled posts, calls and advice for the Indian government.
Modi, Trump – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – India paid US lobbying firms big monthly fees, and new filings now show what that money bought. A firm hired by the Indian government helped arrange Trump’s social media post praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to US foreign agent records.
Mercury Public Affairs was paid $75,000 a month. Its filings list Trump’s June post, which congratulated Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving prime minister, among its activities.
The report was first published by The Indian Express.
Mercury has ties to people close to Trump. The firm was hired after his re-election. Bryan Lanza, communications director of Trump’s transition team, is one of its core members.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s outgoing chief of staff, was also a registered lobbyist with Mercury until late 2024.
A second firm, SHW Partners, is led by Trump aide Jason Miller. It disclosed that it arranged eight phone calls between Indian representatives and senior White House officials in May and June.
The firm described the calls as “political activities.” They focused on India-US relations.
The May calls came before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited India. Indian representatives spoke with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Deputy National Security Adviser Michael Needham and Under Secretary Gene Lange.
More calls followed in June. These included US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Trump’s policy assistant Walker Barrett and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.
India first hired Miller’s firm in April 2025. The Indian Embassy in Washington signed the deal at $150,000 a month. The contract was extended for another year in April 2026.
It ended on June 23, after Miller joined the Trump administration as a “special government employee.”
The contract covered strategic advice, planning and government relations support. It reached the US government, Congress, state governments, universities and think tanks.
US law requires agents of foreign clients to disclose their work. Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, they must report their clients, their activities and their pay.
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