The US embassy in Delhi has said that it neither received nor provided $21 million for any voter turnout related activities in India, as previously claimed by US President Donald Trump. In a statement to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the US embassy in the national capital has said that “USAID/India did not receive/provide funding of $21 m for voter turnout in India (FY 2014 to 2024) nor implemented any voter turnout-related activities.”
This is in direct contradiction to the claim that Trump made earlier this year, claiming that the Indian government utilised the USAID fund, meant for humanitarian cause, in voter-turnout related activities.
On 11 August 2025, the US Embassy in New Delhi, in a letter to the Department of Economic Affairs, conveyed that all seven Partnership Agreements signed with the Government of India would stand closed with effect from 15 August 2025.
It also made available a beneficiary-wise breakdown of USAID allocations to the Ministry for three years 2022, 2023 and 2024, as sought by the government.
In a reply to a questioned asked by Rajya Sabha MP Dr John Brittas, the Centre said that the US conducted a review of its USAID funds across the world and the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) (on Feb 16, 2025) put out an X post stating that it had cancelled $486 million in USAID funding for Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) projects worldwide, including $21 million allocation for increasing “voter turnout in India.”
MEA wrote to US embassy immediately
As per the letter, the MEA reached out to the US Embassy in New Delhi on Feb 28, 2025, asking it to “urgently” furnish details of expenditure incurred on all USAID-assisted/funded projects in India over the last ten years (other than those being implemented under the seven Partnership Agreements with the Government of India). The MEA also sought a list of NGOs/implementing partners through which such initiatives were executed.
The sought data was shared by the US Embassy on July 2, 2025, and it covered USAID funding in India from 2014 to 2024, including details of implementing partners, objectives, and key accomplishments of each activity undertaken.
“The Embassy also maintains that “USAID/India did not receive or provide funding of $21 million for voter turnout in India”,” the letter added.
What is the status of USAID in India?
The government said that US Congress, on March 29, 2025, was formally notified of the administration’s intent to dissolve USAID permanently, with residual operations to be absorbed by the State Department’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD).
The USAID operations ceased from July 1 with approximately 83% of its programs terminated, and 94% of its staff laid off. The State Department assumed responsibility for the remaining 17% of USAID’s operations and foreign aid administration.
Subsequently, on July 29, 2025, the US Embassy conveyed to MEA that it plans to bring all USAID operations to a close by August 15, 2025.
The full closure of USAID is scheduled to be completed by September 2, 2025, it added.