JD Vance India visit LIVE: US Vice President, Second Lady Usha Vance visit Akshardham Temple with kids | Watch
World: Vance is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today to discuss a bilateral trade agreement. The talks come at a time when Washington’s tariff battles with China have created tension across global markets.
US Vice President JD Vance arrived in New Delhi on Monday (April 21) for his first official visit to India. He was accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance, and their three children, Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel, for a four-day trip that combines official talks with family sightseeing.
Vance was welcomed at Palam airport as he is set to begin discussions focused on trade and wider global cooperation.
Talks with PM Modi to focus on trade deal
Vance is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today to discuss a bilateral trade agreement. The talks come at a time when Washington’s tariff battles with China have created tension across global markets.
According to the White House, the visit is focused on “shared economic and geopolitical priorities”. India also said the trip would “provide an opportunity for both sides to review the progress in bilateral relations”.
US-India trade ties under pressure
Despite strong personal ties between Trump and Modi, India was hit with 26% tariffs on 2 April. Although a 90-day pause has been introduced, Delhi remains cautious about future trade relations.
Officials in India are working hard to finalise the first phase of a trade deal, which both sides hope to wrap up by autumn. India has already reduced tariffs on some American products, with broader cuts expected soon.
Bilateral trade could hit $500 billion
The US is now India’s biggest trading partner, with total trade passing $190 billion (£144 billion). Modi’s recent visit to Washington helped strengthen ties, with both leaders aiming to push that figure to $500 billion.
Modi described the goal as a “mega partnership”.
Farmer protests set to greet Vance
But not everyone supports the deal. On 21 April, the day of Vance’s arrival, India’s largest and oldest farmers’ union, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), has planned nationwide protests.
The group argues that opening up trade could severely damage local farming incomes, especially in the dairy industry. They have warned that liberalising trade in this sector could hurt millions of small-scale farmers.
