Narendra Modi & JD Vance praise Trade Talks

India and the United States said they were progressing on a bilateral trade deal following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice President JD Vance in Delhi on April 21, 2025.

Vance, who is on a four-day visit to India with his wife Usha and their three children, met Modi at the latter’s residence, where the PM also hosted a private dinner for the family.

After the meeting, Modi tweeted: “We are committed to mutually beneficial cooperation, including in trade, technology, defence, energy and people-to-people exchanges.”

India is among several countries racing to conclude new trade terms with the US during President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on higher tariffs, which ends on July 9.

Delhi had been set to face tariffs as high as 27% before the pause.

Since the announcement, the two countries have been working towards an early resolution of outstanding trade issues.

But negotiations remain stuck on key sectors such as agriculture, where Washington is pushing for greater access and India continues to resist.

In a statement released after the Modi-Vance meeting, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said there was a “serious lack of reciprocity in the trade relationship with India”.

Modi and Trump have maintained a close personal rapport.

The Indian leader was among the first global figures to visit Trump after his second term began.

However, the US president has repeatedly criticised India’s tariff regime, calling it a “tariff king” and a “big abuser” of trade rules.

In recent months, India has cut import duties on several goods and is reportedly considering further reductions to smoothen ties ahead of a formal trade deal.

Talks are expected to intensify as the tariff deadline approaches.

In addition to trade, Narendra Modi and JD Vance discussed cooperation in defence, strategic technologies, and energy.

Modi also said he looked forward to welcoming Trump to India later in 2025.

The US President is expected to attend the upcoming Quad summit in Delhi.

The formal bilateral meeting was followed by delegation-level talks and the family dinner.

Photographs of Vance’s children dressed in traditional Indian outfits featured prominently in Indian media coverage of the visit.

Usha Vance’s parents are originally from Andhra Pradesh. According to reports, the couple is keen to introduce their children to their Indian heritage.

The rest of the Vance family’s trip is largely personal.

On April 22, they visited Jaipur’s historic Amer Fort.

JD Vance is expected to deliver a speech on US-India relations in the city before travelling to Agra to see the Taj Mahal on April 23. The family returns to the US the following day.