When the Indian government created the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri, it gave the United States the second pick for selecting a property behind the United Kingdom; Henderson selected a "beautiful" 13-acre plot, and although the State Department didn't purchase the land at that time, he persuaded Indian officials to hold the land until the government authorized its procurement in 1953, when increased ties and awareness between the two countries as well as Cold War politics placed a new embassy in India at the top of the foreign service's construction priorities.

[3] The planning of the embassy began in the early 1950s and the complex includes the Chancery, the Roosevelt House (official residence of the U.S.

After traveling to India, Stone submitted a design inspired by Indian temples and monuments, particularly the Taj Mahal, that used a white sunscreen around a structure shaped like a "rectangular donut" with a tropical water garden at the center that featured plants, fish, and birds.

"[4] The embassy was formally opened on January 5, 1959, in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other dignitaries.

"[5] Before, during and soon after its construction, the embassy gained many positive appraisals and fascination in both mainstream publications and architecture journals, with a lot of coverage during Jacqueline Kennedy's 1962 goodwill tour of India and Pakistan.

"[4] An incident of sexual assault in February 2020 occurred on U.S. Embassy grounds when Indian police revealed a 5-year-old girl had been raped.