JD Vance’s India Visit: Meeting PM Modi, Exploring Heritage Sites, and Pushing Bilateral Trade Talks
New Delhi: US Vice President JD Vance is set to begin his maiden visit to India on Monday, accompanied by his wife Usha and their three children Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. The four-day trip will include high-level diplomatic discussions, cultural visits, and engagements aimed at strengthening India-US ties.
Vance and his delegation will arrive at the Palam airbase in Delhi at 10 AM and will be received by a senior Union Cabinet minister. His visit follows recent developments in US trade policy, including President Donald Trump’s temporary tariff actions against several nations, including India.
Diplomatic Talks and Trade Focus
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the Vance family at his official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg at 6:30 PM on Monday. The meeting will be followed by formal talks covering a broad spectrum of topics such as trade, tariffs, regional security, and expanding bilateral cooperation.
The discussions are expected to prioritize the finalization of a long-pending bilateral trade agreement. Key Indian officials participating in the talks include External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
Following the meeting, Modi will host a dinner for the Vance family and the accompanying US officials.
Cultural Visits and Travel Plans
Upon arrival in Delhi, the Vance family is scheduled to visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple and may explore a handicrafts shopping complex. They will be staying at the ITC Maurya Sheraton hotel during their stay in the capital.
Later that evening, the family will travel to Jaipur. On April 22, they will tour the UNESCO-listed Amer Fort and attend an event at the Rajasthan International Centre, where Vice President Vance will deliver a speech. The address is expected to focus on the evolving India-US partnership under the Trump administration and will be attended by diplomats, academics, policy experts, and government officials.
The visit concludes in Agra, where the Vance family is expected to visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram, a cultural complex showcasing traditional Indian arts and crafts, on April 23.
The Vice President is accompanied by a team of at least five senior US officials, including representatives from the Pentagon and the State Department, according to sources familiar with the itinerary.
(PTI)