Vice-President J D Vance and his wife Usha arrived in Delhi to a warm welcome on Monday morning.
The Vances were received at the airport by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Besides Delhi, Vance and his family will travel to Jaipur and Agra during their four-day trip to India.
On Monday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for the Vances after holding talks with the US Vice President.
Vance's first visit to India comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries, including India.
Vance to visit Amber Fort in Jaipur
April 21, 2025 4:20 pm
The US Vice-President will visit the Amber Fort in Jaipur and deliver an address on US-India relations at Rajasthan International Centre (RIC) on Tuesday. Vance will arrive in Jaipur in a special plane at 9.30 pm and will stay at hotel Rambagh Palace. He will reach Amber Fort at 9 am on Tuesday. He will address an event at the RIC at 3 pm. He will be accompanied by his wife Usha Vance, their children and senior members of the US administration. The vice president is scheduled to leave Jaipur for Agra in a special plane on Wednesday morning. After returning to Jaipur in the afternoon, he is scheduled to visit City Palace. He will depart for the US early Thursday morning.
Akshardham temple visit: US V-P says his 'kids, in particular, loved it'
April 21, 2025 4:17 pm
“Thank you all so much for your hospitality and kindness in welcoming me and my family to this beautiful place. It is a great credit to India that you built a beautiful temple with precision and care. Our kids, in particular, loved it. God bless,” the vice president wrote in the temple guest book. The temple also put out a post on X about the visit. "The U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance and their children visited Swaminarayan Akshardham in Delhi 'their first stop in India' experiencing its majestic art, architecture and timeless values of faith, family and harmony."
Vance visits Akshardham temple with family
April 21, 2025 11:18 am
US Vice-President JD Vance who arrived in New Delhi with his wife Usha Vance and their three children visited Akshardham temple today. Temple spokesperson Radhika Shukla said, "The Vice President and the Second Lady are coming for the Darshan at Akshardham Temple. She has Indian roots... They are coming here directly from the airport... They will first have the darshan of the replica of Lord Swaminarayan and then they will see the architecture of the temple, " she said.
Vance receives ceremonial Guard of Honour
April 21, 2025 10:03 am
JD Vance, Usha Vance arrive at Palam airport
April 21, 2025 10:02 am
Family trip for Vance
April 21, 2025 9:59 am
Vance's visit to India marks his first official trip to the country, which has added significance for the second family. His wife Usha Vance — a practising Hindu — is the daughter of immigrants from south India. In his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance described his wife a “supersmart daughter of Indian immigrants” whom he met at Yale Law School. Usha's parents moved to the US in the late 1970s. Vance is accompanied by Usha, their children and other senior members of the US administration, and the couple will visit Indian cities of Jaipur and Agra and participate in engagements at cultural sites, a readout from the White House said.
Modi and Trump already share rapport
April 21, 2025 9:58 am
Modi established a good working relationship with Trump during his first term in office. It now appears that the two leaders are likely to further boost cooperation between their countries, particularly in trade as Chinese President Xi Jinping is aiming to position Beijing as a reliable trade partner in the Asia-Pacific region amid rising tensions with Washington. India has also already taken a number of steps to win over Trump. It will purchase more oil, energy and defence equipment, including the fifth-generation stealth fighter jets, from the US. The US, however, wants greater market access for its agricultural and dairy products in India, but New Delhi has been reluctant so far as the farm sector employs bulk of the country's workforce.
India's deep ties to US business
April 21, 2025 9:57 am
India is a close partner of the US for bilateral trade, foreign direct investments, defence cooperation, and an important strategic ally in combating the rising influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region. It is also part of the Quad, which is made up of the United States plus India, Japan and Australia and seen as a counter-balance to China's expansion in the region. US companies such as Apple Inc. and Google have expanded operations in India in recent years. Last month, Musk's Starlink entered into agreements with two of India's top telecom operators to provide satellite-based internet services. To further boost trade ties, the US and India have set an ambitious target of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 under the expected trade deal agreement. The negotiations are especially urgent for New Delhi as it could be hit hard by Trump's reciprocal tariffs, particularly in sectors of agriculture, processed food, auto components, high-end machinery, medical equipment and jewellery. This poses a significant challenge for Modi government as it hopes to spruce up the country's economy and generate jobs with an export-led recovery.
Bilateral trade agreement
April 21, 2025 9:55 am
Vance's arrival in India comes weeks after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was in India for a geopolitical conference and two months after Modi met Trump in Washington. Modi was among the first leaders to visit the US and hold talks with Trump after he returned to the White House. During his visit, Modi hailed a “mega partnership” with the US and kickstarted a negotiation process to minimise the possible fallout of Trump's tariffs after it had already cut tariffs on a range of US goods. Regardless, Trump targeted India with a 26 per cent levy as part of his now-paused tariff programme, which has provided temporary relief for Indian exporters. During his visit, Modi sought to soften impending trade barriers by saying he was open to reducing more tariffs on US goods, repatriating undocumented Indian nationals and buying military gear. The two countries also agreed to start talks towards clinching the bilateral trade agreement. Modi on Friday said he spoke with Elon Musk and said he and the SpaceX CEO “discussed the immense potential for collaboration in the areas of technology and innovation,” saying “India remains committed to advancing our partnerships with the US in these domains.”
Vance to meet PM Modi
April 21, 2025 9:54 am
Vance will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for talks on the economy, trade and geopolitical ties. Vance's visit is seen as an important diplomatic mission by President Donald Trump's administration, and it coincides with a rapidly intensifying trade war between Washington and Beijing, which is New Delhi's main rival in the region. A trade deal between India and the US could significantly enhance economic ties between the two countries and potentially strengthen diplomatic ties. The US is also India's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at $190 billion until recently.
Tight security in Delhi ahead of US vice president's visit
April 21, 2025 9:51 am
Security was tightened across Delhi ahead of the arrival of US Vice President J D Vance and Second Lady Usha on Monday, a senior police official said. Vance, his Indian-origin wife Usha and their three children -- Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel -- are scheduled to land at the Palam airbase around 10 am on a four-day India visit. "We have already conducted mock drills according to the security protocol for the high-level visit of the US vice president. Security has been tightened across different areas of Delhi to ensure that everything goes smoothly and no untoward incident happens during the visit," the official said. Delhi Traffic Police will also ensure that the routes the US vice president will take remain clear, he said. Hours after arriving in Delhi, Vance and his family are scheduled to visit the Akshardham temple. They could also visit a shopping complex selling traditional Indian handcrafted goods, people familiar with the matter told PTI.
