Modi-Vance talks set for Monday; trade deal and regional security top the agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with visiting US Vice President J D Vance on Monday evening, with discussions expected to focus on trade, tariffs, regional security, and ways to strengthen the overall bilateral relationship. Vance, accompanied by his wife Usha and their three children, is arriving in Delhi on a four-day visit, his first official trip to India.

Vance's visit comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused sweeping tariffs on around 60 countries, including India. Negotiations are currently underway between New Delhi and Washington to finalise a bilateral trade agreement aimed at addressing tariff issues and market access.

The US Vice President is scheduled to land at Palam airbase at 10 am on Monday. The Vances will visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple soon after their arrival, and may stop by a shopping complex featuring Indian handcrafted goods, according to news agency PTI. 

At 6:30 pm, Prime Minister Modi will receive the Vice President and his family at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence. This will be followed by official-level talks. The agenda is likely to include the early finalisation of the proposed trade pact and discussions on enhancing strategic cooperation between the two nations. "The focus of the meeting is likely to be on early finalisation of the proposed bilateral trade pact as well as ways to boost overall trajectory of ties between the two countries," officials told PTI.

Modi will be joined at the meeting by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra. Vance is expected to be accompanied by a team of senior officials from the Pentagon and the US State Department.

Following the talks, Modi will host the Vances and their accompanying officials for a formal dinner. Later that night, the US Vice President and his family will depart for Jaipur. During their stay in Delhi, the Vance family will be accommodated at the ITC Maurya Sheraton. In Jaipur, they are expected to stay at the Rambagh Palace, a heritage hotel that once served as a royal guesthouse.

On April 22, the Vances will visit the UNESCO World Heritage site Amer Fort (also known as Amber Fort) and are scheduled to attend an address by the Vice President at the Rajasthan International Centre. During the event, Vance is expected to speak on the broader dynamics of India-US relations under the Donald Trump administration. The gathering will include diplomats, foreign policy analysts, Indian government officials, and members of the academic community.

On the morning of April 23, the Vance family will travel to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. They will return to Jaipur later in the day. The delegation is scheduled to depart for the United States from Jaipur on April 24.

(With inputs from PTI)