JD Vance and Usha to visit India amid trade talks

US VP will meet Indian leaders and visit historic landmarks with his family.

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US Vice President JD Vance will travel to India for a four-day visit from April 21 to 24, where he is scheduled to hold high-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as both countries push to conclude a bilateral trade agreement amid escalating global tariff tensions.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the visit on Wednesday, describing it as an opportunity to review progress on economic cooperation and geopolitical alignment between the two nations. It will be Vance’s first official visit to India since assuming office.

Vance will be accompanied by his wife Usha Vance, an Indian-American and the First Hindu American Second Lady, along with their three children and senior officials from the US administration.

According to the MEA, Vance will meet Prime Minister Modi on 21 April, and also hold separate meetings with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and BJP President JP Nadda. A formal dinner hosted by the Indian prime minister is scheduled for the evening of their arrival.

The vice president’s itinerary includes visits to Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra, where the Vance family will tour key cultural sites, including the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal.

The visit comes as President Donald Trump’s tariff policy continues to disrupt global trade. With China and other countries responding with retaliatory measures, India and the US have intensified efforts to stabilise economic ties. A 90-day tariff pause, announced earlier this month, temporarily exempted India from new US levies after a 27% tariff was imposed on 2 April.

Washington and Delhi are now working to finalise the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement by the fall of 2025. India has already lowered import duties on several US goods and is considering broader concessions.

The White House said Vance will also visit Italy prior to India, where he is scheduled to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and participate in pre-Easter events at the Vatican.

Vance’s India trip follows recent visits by other senior US officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who met Modi and senior ministers during a geopolitical conference in New Delhi.

The United States remains one of India’s top trade partners, with total bilateral trade nearing $190 billion. During Modi’s visit to Washington in February, the two leaders pledged to double that figure to $500 billion, strengthening their strategic and economic partnership.

Vance’s presence also reinforces the two countries’ commitment to the Quad alliance, alongside Australia and Japan, which is aimed at balancing China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.