New Delhi: US Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance and their three children, began his first official visit to India on April 21, 2025, receiving a warm welcome from Indian officials at Palam airport, including Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The Vance family, joined by an American delegation, will be in India until April 24, with a packed itinerary that includes stops in Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra.
The visit is significant for both its diplomatic and symbolic value. It is Usha Vance’s first visit to her home country as Second Lady, adding a personal dimension to the trip.
The Vance family is scheduled to visit the iconic Akshardham Temple in Delhi and other cultural landmarks, reflecting the cultural diplomacy aspect of the visit. Security has been heightened in Delhi, and ceremonial honours were extended to Vice President Vance upon arrival.
A central highlight of the visit is the formal meeting between Vice President Vance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled for the evening of April 21 at the Prime Minister’s official residence. Their discussions are expected to focus on strengthening economic, trade, and defence cooperation, with particular attention to the ongoing negotiations for a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement.
Both nations have set an ambitious target to double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, and the current talks are seen as a step toward finalising the first phase of a trade deal later this year. The visit comes against the backdrop of paused US tariffs on Indian goods and a global environment marked by trade tensions, especially between the US and China.
According to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, all relevant issues in the India-US relationship will be discussed, including tariffs and trade, and the visit is expected to provide a further boost to the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
The visit will also allow both sides to review the progress made since the last India-US Joint Statement in February and to exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.
Following official meetings in Delhi, the Vance family will travel to Jaipur and Agra, further emphasising the cultural and people-to-people ties that underpin the broader strategic relationship. The visit will conclude with their departure from India on April 24.
JD Vance’s visit is seen as a pivotal moment to deepen the India-US strategic partnership, advance trade negotiations, and reaffirm the commitment of both nations to shared economic and geopolitical priorities.
