Vance India visit to feature mix of official interactions, cultural engagements
Soon after their arrival, US vice president JD Vance and his family visited the sprawling Swaminarayan Akshardham temple complex on the banks of the Yamuna river
New Delhi:
US vice president JD Vance and his family arrived in India on Monday for a three-day visit that will feature a mix of official interactions and cultural engagements aimed at introducing his children to the country of origin of their mother Usha.
Vance and the Second Lady were received on their arrival at Palam airbase by Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. He was given a ceremonial welcome, including a guard of honour by the three services.
The three children emerged from the special flight clad in Indian attire – Vance’s sons Ewan and Vivek were wearing kurta and pyjamas, while his daughter Mirabel was clad in a blue dress. This trend continued when the Vances met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening at his official residence, where he hosted them for dinner.
“A very warm welcome to @VP JD Vance, @SLOTUS Mrs. Usha Vance, & the U.S. delegation to India!” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media, adding that the visit would deepen the bilateral comprehensive global strategic partnership.
Soon after their arrival, Vance and his family visited the sprawling Swaminarayan Akshardham temple complex on the banks of the Yamuna river. Footage showed Vance walking around the temple holding the hands of his sons. A little later, the Vances went shopping at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, a state-run showcase for traditional arts and crafts that has been visited by several world leaders.
Issues such as ongoing negotiations for an India-US bilateral trade agreement, the new US reciprocal tariffs, currently paused till July, market access, defence cooperation and the situation in the Indo-Pacific were set to figure in Vance’s official interactions with Indian interlocutors.
Vance’s first visit to India came weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed, and then paused, customised reciprocal tariffs for some 60 countries, including India. India and the US are engaged in negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement that is expected to address issues such as tariffs and market access.
This is the first visit to India by a US vice president after more than a decade, and follows a trip by then vice president Joe Biden in 2013. Modi and Vance last met on the margins of the AI Action Summit in Paris in February.
However, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the focus of the trip is largely on cultural engagements and visits to tourist sites in Jaipur and Agra aimed at introducing Vance’s children to the country where their mother Usha traces her roots.
Soon after the dinner hosted by Modi, Vance and his delegation were set to travel to Jaipur on Monday night. On April 22, Vance will receive a formal welcome from the Rajasthan governor and chief minister, and he and his family are expected to visit Amer Fort, Jantar Mantar, City Palace and Hawa Mahal.
In the afternoon on Tuesday, Vance will deliver a speech at the Rajasthan International Centre before holding some meetings with political and business leaders. Vance is expected to speak on priorities for India-US relations under the Donald Trump administration during the speech that is expected to be attended by diplomats, foreign policy experts, Indian officials and academics.
On April 23, the Vances will travel to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram, an open-air emporium showcasing Indian artefacts. Vance and his delegation are expected to leave India early on April 24.
India is the second leg of a week-long two-nation tour by Vance that began on April 18 and has already taken him to Italy. Vance was the last foreign dignitary to meet Pope Francis, who died on Monday, at the Vatican.
Vance’s visit follows a trip to India by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who was the first member of Trump’s cabinet to travel to New Delhi in March for a security conclave and the Raisina Dialogue.
This is Vance’s third foreign trip since taking office. Vance visited Paris and Munich in February, when his remarks at public events criticising European allies for censorship of free speech and defence spending ruffled many feathers as they seen as supportive of right-wing forces.
Vance visited Greenland in March with his wife and Waltz but received a frosty reception because of the Trump administration’s interest in taking control of the self-governing territory of Denmark.
