April 21 (UPI) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in India Monday, where he is expected to talk trade with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the two later meet.
Vance landed in Delhi with his family, and is also expected to spend time touring the country, including popular tourist destinations Agra and Jaipur.
Modi will host Vance for dinner Monday night.
“The two sides will also exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” India’s foreign ministry told BBC News.
The vice president spent the weekend in Rome, where he and his family attended Catholic church services at the Vatican over Easter, prior to the death of Pope Francis.
Vance’s wife Usha Vance is the first Hindu-American second lady. Her parents came to the United States from India in the 1970s.
Modi and Vance are expected to discuss President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of reciprocal tariffs, which apply to dozens of countries including India. Trump’s temporary 90-day pause means the tariffs are set to go into effect on July 9.
The United States remains India’s biggest trading partner. The two countries’ combined bilateral trade is valued at $190 billion, although a $46 billion trade deficit favors India.
Trump has enacted a 26% tariff on India, while countering that American products face an average duty of 52% in India.
Modi last Friday said he spoke with Elon Musk to discuss technology and innovation.
Trump and Modi have previously pledged to double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, following a meeting at the White House.
The president has also urged India to spend more of its defense purchasing dollars in the United States, while also pushing American oil and gas.
