- Modi said he looks forward to Trump’s visit to India this year.
- Vance is largely a personal four-day visit.
- Timing is crucial because India-US discusses trade agreement: analysts.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that talks on an early trade deal between the two countries have made significant progress.
Vance arrived in India earlier on Monday to conduct a four-day personal visit with his family, including visiting the Taj Mahal and giving a speech in the city of Jaipur, U.S. officials said.
The two leaders also noted that a statement between Modi’s office said after negotiations between them that efforts continue to strengthen cooperation in energy, defense and strategic technologies.
They said they discussed regional and global issues and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the direction for progress and reiterated India’s standard line involving global conflict without naming.
New Delhi used this expression in the wars in Ukraine in the past.
It added: “The Prime Minister () conveyed his warm greetings to President Trump and said he was looking forward to a visit to India later this year.”
A statement from Vance’s office said the two leaders agreed to the roadmap to further discuss trade. It said a bilateral trade agreement “has the opportunity to negotiate a new modern trade agreement aimed at promoting job creation and citizenship well-being between the two countries.”
Vance’s wife Usha is the daughter of Indian immigrants.
Vance landed in New Delhi after visiting Rome, where he held a private meeting with Francis on Easter Sunday.
Modi and Vance outlined reviews and positive assessments in various areas of bilateral cooperation when they met with President Donald Trump in Washington in February. It includes “fairness” in their two-way trade and developing their defense partnerships.
“Requires a contract of the largest trading partner”
The Indian Prime Minister was one of the first world leaders to meet with Trump after taking office, and Reuters reported that his administration is willing to cut tariffs on more than half of the imports from the United States as part of the trade deal, worth $41.8 billion in 2024.
However, the U.S. president continues to refer to India as a “tariff abuser” and “tariff king.”
“We are very sure that this visit will further promote our bilateral relations,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on Thursday.
U.S. government trade data shows that the United States is India’s largest trading partner, with their two-way bilateral trade reaching US$129 billion in 2024, with a surplus of US$45.7 billion in support of India.
Officials in New Delhi are expected to reach a trade agreement with the United States during a 90-day pause on April 9 for major trading partners, including Delhi.
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in San Francisco on Monday that India hopes to “positively conclude” the first part of the trade agreement this fall.
“The long and lack of interaction with the United States is not only for issues related to mutual tariffs, but also for the benefit of … our largest trading partner needs to reach an agreement.”
Vance’s tour in India is also seen as laying the foundation for Trump’s visit to the country’s Quad Regure the Quad Grouping summit later this year, which includes India, Australia, Japan and the United States.
The timing of Vance’s visit is crucial in the context of trade negotiations, said the head of foreign policy at the Delhi Observer Research Foundation’s think tank.
“The tensions in the United States-China are increasing, especially Vance plays a very compelling role in American diplomacy, which also means that the visit has additional significance,” he said.
