Engaging South Dakota! (6 – 8 May 2026)
As part of the Consulate's ongoing outreach with its jurisdictional states, Consul General undertook an official visit to South Dakota from 6 May to 8 May 2026, with engagements spread over Lead and Sioux Falls.
On 7 May 2026, Consul General visited the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) in Lead, which is a Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) facility. The LBNF will house the DUNE far detector, utilising 70,000 tons of liquid argon and advanced technology to record neutrino interactions with unprecedented precision. CG was joined on the tour by Dario Gil, Under Secretary for Science, US Department of Energy; Mark Thompson, Director General of CERN; and Norbert Holtkamp, Director of Fermilab.
On 7 May 2026, CG also participated in the historic Cryostat Beam Signing ceremony, marking a significant milestone for the DUNE project, one of the largest neutrino science collaborations in history, with over 1,500 scientists from 35 countries.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, CG held productive meetings with US Senator Mike Rounds and US Congressman Dusty Johnson, with discussions focusing on strengthening India–South Dakota trade and bilateral ties. Separately, CG held substantive discussions on deepening Science & Technology cooperation with Under Secretary Dario Gil, US Department of Energy.
"Glimpses of Incredible India" Photo Exhibit was also showcased at South Dakota Trade in Sioux Falls on 8 May 2026. Delegates from South Dakota who had visited India in March 2026 addressed the gathering and shared their experiences from the trip. The exhibit features a curated collection of photographs by Seattle photographer Sam Horine, chronicling the daily sights and sounds of Incredible India.
On 8 May 2026, South Dakota Trade also hosted an interactive Forum on tapping the 3Ts (Trade, Technology and Tourism) with India at their headquarters in Sioux Falls, with nearly 30 leading industry representatives, alongside senior trade and government officials, attending the session.
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