India will be Vice-President Vance’s second foreign trip after France and Germany where he addressed the Munich security conference
US Vice President J.D. Vance and his Indian-descent wife Usha Vance will visit India later this month, according to a US news report. This makes him the second member of the President Donald Trump Cabinet headed for New Delhi this month, along with Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence.
According to a US media outlet, the Vice President will be accompanied by the second lady, whose parents immigrated to the US from India. She was born and raised in the US and met Vance at Yale, where they were both studying law.
India will be Vice-President Vance’s second foreign trip after France and Germany where he addressed the Munich security conference.
Vance’s visit will be the first by a US vice-president after more than 12 years. The last was in 2013, by then Vice-President Joe Biden.
Mike Pence, who served as president in President Donald Trump’s first term, did express the desire to visit India but never did. And Kamala Harris, the Indian-descent vice president in president Biden’s administration, never did, neither did she even express the wish to do so publicly.
Vance’s visit is significant as a key member of the Trump cabinet and administration. He has emerged as a key communicator of the president’s agenda and wishes and has been an outspoken advocate for his boss, most prominently in the spat between him and President Trump on one side and the visiting Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the other.
Their verbal exchange was seen around the world as the most explicit display of Trump’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war.
Vance also stunned Europeans at the Munich conference by accusing governments in the group of stifling free speech. And, he had named the countries, including close allies such as the UK and Germany. No details were available of his engagements in India.
Gabbard’s schedule includes an address at the Raisina Dialogue, the annual meeting of the world’s leading security and foreign policy officials, thinkers and experts.
The visit will come at a time when the two sides are involved in tough negotiations over tariffs. Earlier on Tuesday (local time) White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, while lamenting the tariffs imposed by various nations on the United States, referred to the tariffs imposed by India on American alcohol and agricultural products.
She added that today the US has a President who “actually looks out” for the interests of American businesses and workers.
“In fact, I have a handy dandy chart here that shows not just Canada but the rate of tariffs across the board. If you look at Canada since you brought it up American cheese and butter nearly 300 per cent tariff. You look at India, 150 per cent tariff on American alcohol. Do you think that’s helping Kentucky bourbon be exported into India? I don’t think so. 100 per cent tariff on agricultural products from India,” Leavitt said.”
Last week, US President Donald Trump attacked India’s tariffs, saying it is “next to impossible to sell anything to India” because of the “high tariffs.”
Earlier in February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had meet with US Vice President JD Vance and his family on the sidelines of the AI summit in Paris. They celebrated a special occasion – the birthday of Vance’s son, Vivek.
PM Modi expressed his joy in joining the celebration and described having a “great conversation” with the Vance family.
“Had a wonderful meeting with US Vice President JD Vance and his family. We had a great conversation on various subjects. Delighted to join them in celebrating the joyous birthday of their son, Vivek!” PM Modi wrote in a post on X
In response, US Vice President JD Vance expressed his gratitude towards PM Modi, saying, “Prime Minister Modi was gracious and kind, and our kids really enjoyed the gifts. I’m grateful to him for the wonderful conversation.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also gifted an eco-friendly wooden alphabet set to Mirabel Rose Vance, daughter of JD Vance. This sustainable wooden alphabet set is a durable, safe, and engaging learning tool, designed to enhance motor skills and cognitive abilities. Unlike plastic alternatives, it is free from harmful chemicals and promotes environmental conservation.
