U.S. Vice President JD Vance is on a four-day visit to India, starting on Monday. He will meet with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as both countries work to avoid higher U.S. tariffs through a trade deal and strengthen their relationship.
The visit, which also includes a personal trip to the Taj Mahal and a wedding in Jaipur with Vance’s family, is partly focused on improving trade ties. Vance’s wife, Usha, is of Indian descent.
Modi and Vance are expected to talk about the progress made on trade and defense, which was discussed earlier this year when Modi visited U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington. One of the main topics will be making trade more “fair” and increasing their defense cooperation.
India is considering lowering tariffs on some U.S. products as part of a trade agreement. In 2024, U.S. exports to India were valued at $41.8 billion, and the U.S. President has called India a “tariff abuser” due to high taxes on some goods.
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Indian officials are hopeful that this visit will help improve the trade relationship between the two nations. The U.S. is India’s largest trading partner, with trade between the countries reaching $129 billion in 2024. India also has a $45.7 billion trade surplus with the U.S.
India is expecting to finalize a trade deal with the U.S. within 90 days, which will coincide with a break in tariff increases announced by President Trump on April 9.
Vance’s visit is also seen as a step toward preparing for President Trump’s visit to India later this year for a summit with leaders from the Quad countries, which include India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S.
Harsh Pant, a foreign policy expert in India, said that Vance’s visit is important, especially with rising tensions between the U.S. and China. Vance’s visit adds more weight to the ongoing trade talks.
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Although no major deals are expected during this trip, India and the U.S. are expected to sign a defense partnership agreement later this year. India also plans to purchase advanced weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stryker infantry vehicles, with further discussions set for the U.S. Defense Secretary’s visit to India in the coming months.
