US Vice President Vance, family arrive in Delhi; PM Modi to hold talks

US Vice President JD Vance begins a four-day visit to India on Monday and will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as New Delhi rushes to avoid steep US tariffs with an early trade deal and boost ties with the Trump administration.

Their discussions will cover the first day of Vance's largely personal visit to the country with his family, which includes visiting the Taj Mahal and attending a wedding in the city of Jaipur, reported PTI.

Vance's wife, Usha, is the daughter of Indian immigrants. Accompanied by their children – Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel – the family is expected to land at the Palam airbase at 10 am. Ahead of his visit, security has been stepped up across Delhi.

"We have already conducted mock drills according to the security protocol for the high-level visit of the US vice president. Security has been tightened across different areas of Delhi to ensure that everything goes smoothly and no untoward incident happens during the visit," a senior police officer said.

Delhi Traffic Police officials will also be on alert to facilitate smooth vehicular movement and ensure the vice president’s journey within the city is hassle-free. Soon after arriving in Delhi, Vance and his family are expected to visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple. Sources told PTI they may also visit a shopping complex known for selling traditional Indian handicrafts.

"We have conducted advanced security liaisoning at the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple, which the US vice president will visit on Monday evening. We have thoroughly checked the premises and our teams will be deployed on the premises on the day of the visit too," the officer added. Following his engagements in Delhi, Vance is likely to depart for Jaipur and Agra later on Monday night.

Modi and Vance are expected to review progress made on the bilateral agenda outlined in February when the Indian leader met President Donald Trump in Washington. It includes "fairness" in their two-way trade and growing their defence partnership.

"We are very positive that the visit will give a further boost to our bilateral ties," Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on Thursday, speaking about Vance's engagements in India.

 New Delhi: US Vice President J D Vance and his wife Usha landed in the national capital to a warm reception on Monday morning. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw welcomed the couple at the airport.

The Vance family will also visit Jaipur and Agra as part of their four-day tour of India. Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold discussions with the US Vice President, followed by a dinner hosted in their honour.
This marks Vance’s maiden visit to India, coming just weeks after US President Donald Trump introduced—then temporarily halted—a broad tariff policy targeting nearly 60 nations, including India.

Vance's wife, Usha, is the daughter of Indian immigrants. Accompanied by their children – Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel – the family is expected to land at the Palam airbase at 10 am. Ahead of his visit, security has been stepped up across Delhi.

The US is India's largest trading partner and their two-way bilateral trade reached $129 billion in 2024, with a $45.7 billion surplus in favour of India, US government trade data show. Officials in New Delhi are expecting to clinch a trade deal with the US within the 90-day pause on tariff hikes announced by Trump on April 9 for major trading partners, including Delhi.

Vance's tour in India is also seen as laying the ground for Trump's visit to the country later in the year for the summit of leaders of the Quad grouping that includes India, Australia, Japan and the US. Harsh Pant, foreign policy head at the Observer Research Foundation think tank in Delhi, said the timing of Vance's visit was critical against the backdrop of trade talks.

"The fact that the US-China tensions are ramping up, and Vance in particular seems to have taken a very high-profile role in American diplomacy, also means that the visit assumes an added layer of significance," he said.

Vance will be accompanied by US administration officials, but the two sides are unlikely to sign any deals during the visit, people familiar with the matter said. India and the US expect to ink a framework for defence partnership this year, while New Delhi also plans to procure and co-produce arms, including Javelin anti-tank guided missiles and Stryker infantry combat vehicles, according to a joint statement issued after the February meeting.

Discussions on such procurements would be taken forward during US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's expected visit to India in the next couple of months, people familiar with the matter said.