Amid rising tensions with China and disruptions in global trade alliances, US vice-president JD Vance is set to visit India for a four-day tour that includes a high-stakes conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a potential bilateral trade agreement.
Vance is travelling with his wife Usha and their children Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. While the official agenda focuses on negotiations, the itinerary also allows time for sightseeing, blending policy with personal connection.
Though the official agenda is packed, the Vance family will also make personal stops in Jaipur and Agra, with plans to visit palaces and the Taj Mahal. The inclusion of this “private component”, officials say, reflects Usha Vance’s ancestral connection to India—she was born in the US to Indian immigrant parents—and adds a layer of personal resonance to the trip.
The White House has framed the trip as one centred on “shared economic and geopolitical priorities”. India echoed the sentiment, noting that the visit would “provide an opportunity for both sides to review the progress in bilateral relations”.
The discussions come as Washington pushes to finalise a trade pact in the midst of a renewed global tariff offensive. However, domestic unrest in India and frictions over US visa policy threaten to cloud the diplomatic engagement.
Earlier this month, Trump imposed 26% tariffs on Indian goods, despite previously warm ties with Modi. Though a 90-day freeze has temporarily paused the tariffs, New Delhi remains cautious.
To stabilise the relationship, Indian negotiators have been working to deliver an initial phase of the trade agreement by autumn. In anticipation, India has already reduced duties on certain US imports, with broader tariff cuts anticipated.
Bilateral commerce between the two countries currently exceeds $190 billion making the US India’s biggest trading partner. After Modi’s visit to Washington following Trump’s return to power, both sides pledged to aim for $500 billion in trade, with Modi calling it a “mega partnership”.
Yet not all voices in India support the direction of these talks. On 21 April—the day of Vance’s arrival—the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), India’s most prominent farmers’ union, has called for protests nationwide. The group fears that opening up the agricultural sector could lead to severe income losses, especially for dairy farmers.
The AIKS, a Communist party affiliate with over 1.6 crore members, accused US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick of pressuring India to include its heavily subsidised farming sector in the agreement—calling it “coercion”.
These tensions strike a nerve for the Modi government, still wary of the political cost of previous farmer protests in 2020–21, which forced the repeal of three controversial agricultural laws.
Adding to the strain, visa issues have resurfaced. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited data indicating that half of 327 recent visa cancellations affecting international students involved Indian nationals.
“The reasons for revocation are random and unclear. There is growing fear and apprehension,” said Ramesh, urging India’s external affairs ministry to intervene.
Concerns about H-1B visa security are also mounting. Indians received 70% of these work visas last year, totalling over 2,00,000, but uncertainties around re-entry have prompted many to reconsider visiting home.
Indian officials, however, remain optimistic. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government was “very positive” that the talks would “further boost” ties, and assured that “all relevant issues” would be addressed.
Vance’s tenure has been defined by an unapologetically nationalist foreign policy. On a European tour, he courted controversy by calling out NATO allies over military spending. And during a March stop in Greenland, he stirred debate with his remark: “We have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of ‘Do you think we can do without it?’”
