Vance in India: Focus on trade, technology and strategic partnership amid tariff tension

US vice-president J.D. Vance commenced his four-day official visit to India on Monday, 21 April, accompanied by his wife Usha and their three children — Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. The high-profile delegation, which includes senior officials from the Pentagon and the US State Department, landed at the Palam airbase at 10 am, where they were received by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The visit marks Vance’s first official trip to India after taking office and comes amid ongoing negotiations between New Delhi and Washington on a bilateral trade agreement. The discussions are expected to address long-standing issues related to tariffs and market access.

Security arrangements across Delhi were significantly enhanced in anticipation of the US vice-president’s arrival, with mock drills and protocol-based measures implemented across key locations. “We’ve conducted detailed security exercises to ensure the visit proceeds without incident,” a senior police official said.

Later in the day, vice-president Vance and his family were scheduled to visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple, followed by a tour of a traditional craft market in the capital.

At 6:30 pm, Vance will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. Key members of the Indian delegation, including external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, national security advisor Ajit Doval, foreign secretary Vikram Misri, and Indian ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra, are expected to join the talks.

A central focus of the bilateral discussions is likely to be the early finalisation of the much-anticipated trade pact and broader efforts to enhance strategic cooperation.

The meeting may also see the formal launch of the TRUST (Transforming Relationship Utilising Strategic Technology) partnership — an updated version of the previous iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies) agreement.

Prime Minister Modi will host a dinner for the visiting U.S. delegation following the talks.

On the domestic political front, the Congress party raised questions ahead of the talks, asking whether the prime minister would address India’s concerns over the deportation of Indian nationals from the US and the perceived undermining of the World Trade Organisation’s multilateral trading system.

Following the Delhi leg of the visit, the Vance family is scheduled to travel to Jaipur later on Monday night. They will stay at the iconic Rambagh Palace and explore Rajasthan’s historic landmarks, including the Amer Fort. On Tuesday afternoon, Vance will address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Centre.

On Wednesday, the US delegation will head to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and the Shilpgram crafts village before returning to Jaipur the same evening. The trip will conclude on Thursday, 24 April, with their departure for the United States from Jaipur.

The visit is being viewed as a key moment in deepening Indo-US relations across trade, technology, and strategic domains.