Bhubaneswar: The United States has issued a travel advisory urging its citizens to exercise increased caution while travelling in India due to concerns over crime and terrorism. The advisory warns against travel to several parts of India, including Odisha, citing heightened risks in specific regions.

The advisory highlights that violent crimes, including rape and sexual assault, are on the rise, especially at tourist sites and public places. It cautions that terrorist attacks may occur with little or no warning, with potential targets including tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, and government facilities.

The U.S. government has specifically flagged parts of Central and Eastern India—stretching from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana to western West Bengal—as high-risk zones due to the presence of Maoist extremist groups (Naxalites). These groups, the advisory notes, are active in the southwestern regions of Odisha and other rural areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Bihar, where they have been known to carry out attacks targeting security personnel and government officials.

Due to the volatile security situation, U.S. government employees in India are required to obtain prior approval before travelling to most areas in Odisha. The same restriction applies to employees travelling to Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Meghalaya, as well as parts of eastern Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

The advisory also cautions against:

• Travel to Jammu and Kashmir (except Ladakh) due to terrorism and civil unrest.

• Crossing the India-Pakistan border, citing risks of armed conflict.

• Travel to Manipur, where ongoing ethnic conflict has led to widespread violence and displacement.

• Overland travel through the India-Nepal border, due to the risk of immigration-related detentions.

While the northeastern region has seen fewer recent incidents, the U.S. has advised its citizens to reconsider travel to the area due to the potential for insurgency-related violence. Special travel permissions are required for U.S. personnel travelling beyond the capital cities in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Tripura, and for visits to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

The U.S. has advised travellers to avoid bringing satellite phones or GPS devices, as they are illegal in India and can lead to heavy fines or imprisonment. Travellers are also encouraged to remain vigilant, avoid travelling alone—particularly women—and enrol in the Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive timely alerts.