Mayor Mo Malakoutian designated Saturday, Aug. 15, as India Day in Bellevue, joining Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson and Gov. Bob Ferguson in a coordinated recognition of India's 80th Independence Day and the contributions of the region's Indian-American community.

The proclamations, announced by the Consulate General of India in Seattle, spanned Washington state and Nebraska. Kent Mayor Dana Ralph also issued a municipal declaration.

Asian Americans make up more than 40% of Bellevue's population, and Asian Indian residents are among the fastest-growing groups within that community, according to a city demographic profile. As of 2024, about 43% of Bellevue residents were born outside the United States, and India is the second most common country of birth for foreign-born Washingtonians, with more than 116,000 India-born residents statewide.

The Consulate General said the proclamation recognizes the Indian-American community's contributions to economic vitality and civic life across the region, and highlights shared values of democracy, diversity and mutual respect between India and the United States. The statement referenced Seattle specifically but accompanied municipal declarations in Bellevue and Kent as part of the broader regional effort.

Malakoutian, who immigrated to Washington from Iran in 2008 and moved to Bellevue in 2013, was unanimously elected mayor by the City Council in January. When he took the gavel on Jan. 6, he told colleagues he wanted to "listen well and keep the people at the center of our work." The India Day proclamation is among his first community recognition acts as mayor.

Indian American Community Services, a nonprofit that has served the Eastside for more than 40 years, operates programs across King and Snohomish counties and lists Bellevue among its primary service cities. The Consulate General's directory of organizations shows more than 20 Indian-American groups active in the greater Seattle-Eastside region, including the Madhya Pradesh Association of Washington, based in Bellevue.

No Bellevue-specific celebration event tied to the proclamation was announced. The main Independence Day festivities were centered in Seattle on Aug. 15.