Trade agreements took center stage on the first day of US Vice President JD Vance's visit to India. Vance's visit is being seen as significant amidst US President Donald Trump's tariff initiatives.
Discussions on strategic partnerships and regional security to counter China's influence also took place during the meeting between the two leaders at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence.
According to Indian news sources, US Vice President JD Vance arrived in India with a red carpet welcome at around 10:00 AM local time on Monday (April 21).
Vance was received by the Indian military at Palam Technical Area in the capital, Delhi. His Indian-origin wife, Usha Vance, and their three children accompanied him on the visit.
Vance's visit comes at a time when the US-China trade war is reaching new heights. Additionally, President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 26 percent tariff on goods from various countries, including India, although this has been temporarily suspended for 90 days. New Delhi is trying to expedite a trade deal during this pause.
On the first day, Vance met with Modi at the Prime Minister's residence. Discussions focused on finalizing a trade agreement quickly and achieving the goal of increasing bilateral trade between the two countries to $500 billion by 2030.
Security, regional and global situations, and strategic partnerships to counter China's influence were also discussed between the two leaders.
The extent to which JD Vance's visit will be fruitful in opening new horizons in India-US relations depends on the outcome of the discussions in the coming days.
