US vice president JD Vance has arrived in Delhi for a four-day visit to India as the countries look to negotiate on tariffs, a bilateral trade deal and strengthen their ties.
Mr Vance was accompanied by his wife Usha – whose parents moved from India to the US – their three children Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel and fellow government officials as he landed on Monday morning.
The visit comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries, including India.
Mr Vance was expected to meet India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Monday for official talks.
An announcement is likely on the countries’ TRUST (Transforming Relationship Utilising Strategic Technology) partnership, a programme aimed at strengthening their cooperation in defence, critical minerals, AI, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, energy and space.
The Trump administration is also pushing India to buy defence equipment.
The US is India’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at $190bn, with a trade deficit of about $46bn in India’s favour.
Both countries are engaged in negotiating a bilateral trade agreement and aim to double trade to $500bn by 2030.
Mr Trump has previously labelled India a “tariff king” and a “big abuser” on trade. He also recently shared a report which stated Indian tariffs on agricultural products were among the highest in the world.
The US president had slapped a 26% tariff on India, calling it a discounted rate against an average 52% duty on American products.
Over the weekend, Mr Vance met Pope Francis in one of the pontiff’s last public appearances before his death on Easter Monday.
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Visit comes amid rising tensions with China
Mr Vance’s visit is also aimed at strategically balancing China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region, with India seen as a counterweight of the two most populous countries.
China has warned it will take “resolute and reciprocal” countermeasures against countries that strike deals with the US at the expense of Chinese interests.
Relations between India and China have been tense over the years.
The two countries, separated by the Himalayan mountain range, share a 2,000-mile border, most of which is not demarcated.
In 2020, in Galwan, soldiers of both countries had a face-off in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. There was a national uproar and since then diplomatic relations have been low.
High-level military talks have been taking place to sort the border disputes, but have so far been inconclusive.
India’s move to strengthen ties with the US will increase friction with its northern neighbour, as China sees itself being isolated and targeted by the Trump administration.
Last week, China’s President Xi Jinping embarked on a tour of Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, and said: “There are no winners in trade wars and tariff wars.”
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Meanwhile, India has raised concerns over the treatment of Indian students who have received visa revocation notices in the US.
A survey by the American Immigration Lawyers Association found 50% of those reporting revocations were Indian. The US government has denied targeting Indians specifically with its actions.
