U.S. Vice President JD Vance started his four-day visit to India. During this trip, he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to discuss important matters related to trade and defence. This visit is happening at a time when India wants to quickly reach a trade agreement with the U.S. to avoid new tariffs that could hurt Indian exports.

Vance’s visit is also personal, as he is travelling with his family. His wife, Usha Vance, is the daughter of Indian immigrants. The family will visit the Taj Mahal and attend a wedding in Jaipur, according to people familiar with the matter.

Even though the trip is partly personal, the political and trade discussions are considered important. Officials from both countries said the talks between Vance and Modi will review progress made during Modi’s February visit to Washington, where he met U.S. President Donald Trump. The two leaders had agreed to work on "fairness" in trade and also to grow their defence partnership.

India hopes to avoid tariffs with a trade deal

The U.S. is India’s biggest trading partner. In 2024, their total trade was worth $129 billion. Out of this, India had a trade surplus of $45.7 billion, meaning it exported more goods to the U.S. than it imported. According to U.S. government trade data, India imported $41.8 billion worth of goods from the U.S. in 2024.

However, U.S. President Donald Trump has often criticised India for its high tariffs on American goods. He has called India a “tariff abuser” and “tariff king”. Despite these remarks, Reuters reported that India is open to cutting tariffs on more than half of its U.S. imports to reach a deal.

There is now a 90-day pause on tariff hikes for key trading partners, including India. Trump announced this pause on April 9, and Indian officials are hopeful that a trade deal can be finalised within this window. "We are very positive that the visit will give a further boost to our bilateral ties," Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday while speaking about Vance’s visit.

Experts say this visit is very timely. Harsh Pant, who leads foreign policy studies at the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi, said: “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.”

Defence ties are also on the agenda

Apart from trade, both countries are also working on a stronger defence relationship. In February, they issued a joint statement saying they would sign a framework for defence partnership this year. India is also planning to buy and co-produce weapons with the U.S., including Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stryker infantry combat vehicles.

While Vance is visiting India with U.S. administration officials, no deals are expected to be signed during this trip. However, the talks are expected to prepare the ground for further discussions. U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to visit India in the coming months to continue talks on defence deals.

Vance’s visit is also seen as preparation for a bigger event—President Trump’s upcoming visit to India later this year. Trump is expected to attend the Quad summit with leaders from India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S.

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