US Vice-President JD Vance To Land In Delhi Today: What’s On The Agenda

US Vice-President JD Vance will land in New Delhi on April 21, marking the beginning of a four-day official visit to India. This is Vance’s maiden trip to the country since assuming office under President Donald Trump’s administration. The visit is reportedly seen as a critical diplomatic engagement aimed at deepening bilateral ties on trade and defence.

According to an official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, “The Vice President of the United States of America, H.E. Mr. J.D. Vance, will pay an Official Visit to India from 21 to 24 April 2025. He will be accompanied by Second Lady Mrs. Usha Vance, their children, and senior members of the U.S. Administration.”

Usha Vance is of Indian heritage and is the daughter of immigrants from India.

The Ministry of External Affairs also added that this is Vance’s first visit to India. During his trip, he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 21. In addition to meetings in Delhi, Vance and his delegation will visit Jaipur and Agra before returning to Washington, D.C.

The US Vice-President's arrival is scheduled for around 9:30 a.m. IST, as per an update shared by the White House press pool and reported by The Times of India. 

JD Vance's meeting with Prime Minister Modi is expected to focus on fast-tracking a bilateral trade agreement before newly proposed US tariffs take effect, Reuters reported. India is keen to leverage the 90-day grace period declared by Trump on April 9, to secure a favourable deal. Officials view Vance’s presence as a timely opportunity to break new ground on outstanding trade issues.

The discussions are likely to revisit topics previously addressed during PM Modi’s meeting, with Trump in Washington this February. As reported by Reuters, the agenda includes concerns around trade “fairness” and expanding the strategic defence relationship between the two nations.

“We are very positive that the visit will give a further boost to our bilateral ties,” said Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, according to Reuters.

Vance’s visit is being viewed as groundwork for President Trump’s potential trip to India later this year. That visit is expected to coincide with the summit of the Quad leaders — a group comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia.

According to a joint statement issued after Modi’s February visit to Washington, the two countries are also working on finalising a broader defence framework. This includes discussions on co-production and procurement of critical military equipment such as Javelin anti-tank guided missiles and Stryker infantry combat vehicles, according to Reuters.