JD Vance to arrive in Delhi today amid global tariff war | What’s on agenda

US Vice President JD Vance on Monday will arrive in New Delhi, kickstarting his four-day visit to India as both the countries seek to unlock economic opportunities and negotiate a bilateral trade deal.

Vance will be accompanied by his wife Usha, their children and other senior members of the U.S. administration. The couple will visit Jaipur and Agra and participate in engagements at cultural sites.

What’s on the agenda?

Vance will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Both the leaders are expected to hold talks on economy, trade and geopolitical ties. The US vice president’s visit to India is being seen as an important diplomatic mission by the Donald Trump administration, coinciding with a rapidly intensifying trade war between US and China.

According to an AP report, a trade deal between the US and India could enhance economic ties between the two countries and potentially strengthen diplomatic ties.

The US is also India’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at $190 billion until recently.

“The visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review the progress in bilateral relations and the implementation of the outcomes of the India-U.S. Joint Statement issued on 13 February 2025 during the visit of the Prime Minister to the US. The two sides will also exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” the Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement on April 16.

Vance’s visit to India comes weeks after Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, was in India for a geopolitical conference and two months after PM Modi met Trump in Washington.

Prime Minister Modi was among the first leaders to visit the US and hold talks with Trump after he returned to the White House. During his visit, the prime minister hailed a “mega partnership” with the US and kickstarted a negotiation process to minimise the possible fallout of Trump’s tariffs after it had already cut tariffs on a range of US goods.

Regardless, Trump targeted India with a 26% levy as part of his now-paused tariff programme, which has provided temporary relief for Indian exporters.

During his visit, Modi sought to soften impending trade barriers by saying he was open to reducing more tariffs on U.S. goods, repatriating undocumented Indian nationals and buying military gear. The two countries also agreed to start talks towards clinching the bilateral trade agreement.