PM Modi Meets US Vice President JD Vance, Hails Progress on Trade Deal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted US Vice President JD Vance in Delhi on Monday, with both leaders welcoming progress on a key bilateral trade deal and reaffirming cooperation across strategic sectors.
At the meeting held at PM Modi’s 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence, the two leaders reviewed the status of the India-US trade agreement aimed at boosting bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030. The trade deal, whose first phase is expected by late 2025, is currently under negotiation amid a pause in reciprocal tariff measures announced by US President Donald Trump.
In a joint assessment, Modi and Vance noted forward movement across sectors including defence, clean energy, and emerging technologies. “Both leaders positively assessed the progress in bilateral cooperation and reiterated the importance of dialogue and diplomacy,” a government release stated.
Accompanied by his wife Usha Vance and their three children—Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel—the US Vice President shared a warm moment with PM Modi. Images released by the Prime Minister’s Office showed the children interacting with Modi inside his residence, where he gifted them peacock feathers.
Earlier in the day, the Vance family visited the Akshardham Temple, where JD Vance left a note thanking the temple authorities. They later shopped for pottery and tea at Janpath, giving a glimpse of their cultural immersion.
Vance, who arrived in Delhi on Monday and received a ceremonial welcome, is scheduled to visit Jaipur on April 22. He will tour Amer Fort and address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Centre, where he is expected to speak on the evolving US-India partnership under the Trump administration.
The Vances will also travel to Agra on April 23 to visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram before returning to Jaipur.
The US remains India’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching USD 129 billion in 2024, and a USD 45.7 billion surplus in India’s favor, according to US government trade data. The February 2025 agreement to push the trade deal aims to capitalize on this trajectory.
PM Modi also conveyed greetings to President Trump and recalled his January visit to Washington, which helped shape the roadmap for future cooperation under India’s “Viksit Bharat 2047” vision and the “Make America Great Again” framework.
