U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance will make his first official visit to India from April 21-24, during which the two countries will take stock of where their bilateral relationship stands now and how much progress has been made since the February India-U.S. Joint Statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) revealed on Wednesday.
Joining Vice President Vance will be Second Lady Usha Vance, their children, and senior members of the U.S. Administration.
Vance will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 21 during the visit. Apart from activities in New Delhi, the Vice President and his team will visit Jaipur and Agra before the tour ends and he returns to Washington on April 24.
“This visit will allow both countries to evaluate developments in the bilateral partnership and track the implementation of the commitments outlined in the India-U.S. Joint Statement released on February 13, 2025, during Prime Minister Modi’s U.S. visit. The leaders will also discuss regional and global matters of shared interest,” the MEA stated on Wednesday evening.
The White House previously announced that Vice President Vance would travel to Italy and India, with India being the second destination on his foreign trip.
This is the first time an incumbent American Vice President has visited India in more than a decade. Joe Biden last visited India in 2013 when he was the Vice President serving under President Barack Obama.
The Vice President will be going to New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra in India," is quoted from the statement of Vance's office. "The Vice President will conduct meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Second Family and Vice President will also attend activities at cultural locations," is added to the statement.
Though the White House statement said nothing about National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, his visit to India is uncertain, if he is to make it at all. If he does go, it would be the third Trump administration senior-level visit to India after visits by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President Vance.
Vice President Vance and Prime Minister Modi met for the first time in Paris at the AI Summit in February. On that visit, the Second Lady and the couple's two sons were also introduced to the Prime Minister.
One of the rising stars in President Donald Trump's administration, Vance is renowned for his unflinching defense of the President's policies. The President frequently invites him to address visitors in meetings with foreign dignitaries that are carried live in the media. Vance's most significant contribution to Oval Office debates so far was during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Second Lady Usha Vance, whose parents immigrated from Andhra Pradesh, was born in San Diego. Her birth name is Usha Bala Chilukuri.
Kamala Harris, who was Vice President before Vance, did not travel to India during her time in office despite being of Indian descent—her mother was from Tamil Nadu. Likewise, Mike Pence, who was Vice President during Trump's first term, had indicated interest in going to India but was ultimately unable to do so.
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