PM Modi meets US Vice President JD Vance

New Delhi, Apr 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met U.S. Vice President JD Vance in New Delhi Monday evening, for a closed-door meeting focused on finalising a much-anticipated bilateral trade deal. The talks come at a crucial moment, with global markets unsettled by escalating tensions in the U.S.–China trade war. Vice President Vance is in India along with his family and a US official delegation on a four-day official visit (April 21–24) aimed at advancing the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. His visit, which includes stops in Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra, marks the most significant high-level outreach from the Trump administration since President Donald Trump’s re-election.

The meeting with Prime Minister Modi, held at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, was followed by delegation-level discussions expected to cover a broad strategic spectrum, ranging from defence and digital cooperation to regional security and trade liberalisation. Both sides are in advanced stages of negotiating a trade agreement that analysts describe as a potential “win-win,” especially with President Trump’s administration pausing a proposed 26% tariff hike on Indian exports for a 90-day window.

That pause, temporarily lifting what was effectively a 36% tariff burden when added to the earlier 10%, is seen as an opportunity for India and the United States to iron out a mutually beneficial deal. Officials on both sides have signalled optimism, especially given the alignment on key economic and geopolitical issues. “India and the United States share a special and privileged strategic partnership, grounded in democratic values and mutual respect,” an official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs noted. “Vice President Vance’s visit reflects our shared commitment to global stability and regional prosperity.”

Vance, accompanied by his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, who traces her roots to Andhra Pradesh, and their three children, arrived in New Delhi on Monday morning. They were received at Palam Airport by Union Minister for Railways and Information & Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw. Usha Vance’s heritage has added a personal dimension to the trip, with celebratory scenes reported from her ancestral village of Vadluru in West Godavari district.

The ceremonial welcome included a Guard of Honour for Vice President Vance, underlining the symbolic weight of the visit. While the Delhi leg of the trip has focused on diplomacy, the rest of the itinerary includes family visits to Jaipur and Agra. The Vances will tour Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, and the Jantar Mantar on April 22, followed by a visit to the Taj Mahal on April 23.

The family, dressed in traditional Indian attire, sons Ewan and Blake in kurta-pyjamas and daughter Mirabel in an anarkali suit, has drawn public and media attention for embracing local culture. Social media was abuzz with images of the Vances interacting with Indian dignitaries and participating in cultural engagements, including a family visit to the Akshardham temple in Delhi.

This is not the first meeting between Modi and Vance. The two had met in Washington, D.C. during the Prime Minister’s state visit to the U.S earlier this year. At that time, Vance, then newly sworn in, had praised India’s growing digital infrastructure and its leadership role in the Indo-Pacific region.

While the bilateral trade agreement remains the centrepiece of the visit, discussions also touched upon defence cooperation, especially in light of shared concerns over China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. US Vice President Vance is scheduled to depart from Delhi on the morning of April 24, capping a visit widely seen as a reaffirmation of the enduring partnership between the world’s largest and oldest democracies.