US Vice President Vance meets Indian Prime Minister Modi for intense discussions on trade.

NEW DELHI, April 22 — US Vice President JD Vance met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi yesterday following a red carpet welcome, as India seeks to secure a quick trade deal to avoid heavy tariffs.

Modi’s office reported "significant progress" in the ongoing negotiations, with both countries working on the first phase of a trade agreement.

India hopes to gain relief during the 90-day suspension of high tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump earlier this month.

Vance’s office echoed the sentiment, saying “significant progress” had been made, and that the two leaders had established a roadmap for how their economic discussions would unfold.

Vance’s four-day visit follows a meeting between Modi and Trump at the White House two months ago, where India committed to purchasing more US oil and gas to reduce its trade surplus with Washington. However, that did not prevent Trump from imposing a 26 percent tariff on Indian goods, later reduced to 10 percent for the 90-day period.

Upon arriving in New Delhi yesterday, Vance was welcomed by an honour guard and folk dancers, marking the start of his visit, which will also take him to Jaipur and the Taj Mahal. Broadcaster NDTV headlined the event as “Ad-Vance-ing” US-India ties.

Modi welcomed Vance with a warm bear hug at his residence on Monday evening, as shown in photographs released by the Indian government, and later hosted the vice president and his family for dinner. The two leaders discussed strengthening cooperation in energy, defence, strategic technologies, and other areas, though no further details were provided.

Vance’s visit takes place amid escalating trade tensions between the US and China, with India’s neighbour facing up to 145 percent tariffs on various products from the US, while China has retaliated with its own levies of 125 percent on US goods. India has remained cautious in its response.

Following Vance’s meeting with Modi, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer confirmed that Washington and India’s Ministry of Commerce had “finalized the Terms of Reference to lay down a roadmap for reciprocal trade negotiations.”

Vance and Modi are also expected to discuss China, seen as a rival by both nations. India and the US are part of the “Quad” group, which also includes Australia and Japan.

Accompanied by his wife Usha, the daughter of Indian immigrants, and their three children in traditional Indian attire, Vance visited the Akshardham Temple in New Delhi.

During his visit to Washington, Modi emphasized that the two largest economies, the US and India, would work toward a “mutually beneficial trade agreement.” The US is a vital market for India’s information technology and services industries, while India has become a major customer for US military hardware in recent years.

Modi expressed anticipation for a visit by Trump to India later this year, with the possibility of a Quad summit on the horizon.

Vance, 40, a devout Catholic convert, arrived in New Delhi the day after meeting Pope Francis in the Vatican. Following the announcement of the Pope’s death, Vance expressed his condolences, saying his “heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.” — AFP