U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance Starts Uncommon Four-Day India Trip; Important Meeting with PM Modi on Agenda

New Delhi, April 21, 2025— In a strong diplomatic interaction, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance arrived in New Delhi on Monday morning for a uncommon four-day official trip to India — the first of a sitting American Vice President in more than a decade. With his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance, their three children, and a senior delegation led by Ricky Gill of the U.S. National Security Council, Vance’s visit is a possible milestone in the developing strategic partnership between India and the United States.

The peak of the visit will be a formal dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening and will be attended by senior Indian ministers. While the full agenda has not been outlined by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), sources suggest that the major issues like trade, tariffs, student visas, and deportation policies are set to be discussed, along with wider geopolitical issues.

The wife of Vice President Vance, an Indian from Andhra Pradesh background, will accompany him for spontaneous activities, which include visits to temples, sightseeing, and shopping. It is the paucity of a clear program that has intrigued diplomatic as well as public communities, hinting at a mixture of official-level diplomacy and discovering culture.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is also likely to see Vance during the day. The U.S. Embassy in Delhi is hosting a range of internal meetings for the visiting delegation, even though the position of U.S. Ambassador to India remains unfilled, with career diplomat Jorgan Andrews holding the rank of Deputy Chief of Mission.

One of the highlights of the visit is Vance’s planned policy speech at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur on Tuesday. Analysts anticipate that the Vice President will delineate the administration’s vision for the U.S.-India relationship. His earlier speeches in foreign forums have been characterized by sweeping declarations, especially on global security and U.S. strategic interests.

Both sides’ officials are hoping that the visit will result in the official announcement of the TRUST (Transforming Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology) partnership, a renamed version of the iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies) of the last Biden administration.

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) is meanwhile likely to organize protests during the visit, marking public attention to some of the U.S. policy in India.

Former Indian Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna, said the visit is a encouraging indication of closer bilateral relations. “Vice Presidential visits are not common, but when they happen, they convey a big message. Vance’s personal link with India and visible presence in U.S. policymaking make this a significant opportunity,” Sarna said in an interview to The Hindu.

The previous vice-presidential visit was that of Joe Biden in 2013, whose visit was crucial in building India-U.S. relations. Thereafter, subsequent Vice Presidents Mike Pence and Kamala Harris did not visit India in their tenures, and thus, Vance’s visit was all the more significant.

With attention focused on the Vance-Modi meeting and the Jaipur speech, the next few days may set the stage for renewed momentum in the strategic partnership between the two democracies.