US V-P JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance likely to visit India this month

The visit by the US Vice President will be the second since President Donald Trump took office in January this year

United States Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance will visit India later this month, according to a report in Politico.

 

This will be JD Vance's second official visit since President Donald Trump took office in January this year. Before India, Vance visited Germany and France.

 

However, for Usha Vance, it will be her first trip to India as the Second Lady of the US. Her parents migrated to the US in 1986 from India. Her roots in India can be traced back to Andhra Pradesh. She is a Yale graduate lawyer and is also the first Indian-origin Second Lady of the US.

 

JD Vance's official visit to India comes at a time when uncertainty looms over trade tariffs. Donald Trump, on several occasions, has called India a "high-tariff nation," a "tariff king," and has vowed to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that levy heavy tariffs on the US. He recently announced that India has agreed to cut down its tariffs, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Indian government has stated that they have 'not committed' to cutting down the import duties.  Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal on Monday told a parliamentary panel that negotiations between India and the US are still on and the two nations have not reached any agreement on trade tariffs so far. He also informed the members that a "tariff war does not help anyone, including the US, and can lead to a recession," PTI reported citing sources. 

 

JD Vance's first official visit

 

JD Vance's first official visit was marked by a fiery speech at the Munich Security Conference, during which he criticised the European government for their handling of several issues including illegal migration, ignoring religious freedoms, and overturning elections.

 

Meanwhile, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is also visiting India to attend the annual meeting of intelligence chiefs scheduled for March 16-17 in New Delhi. 

Trump to visit India soon?

 

Trump is also expected to visit India later this year for the Quad Summit (a four-way grouping of Australia, India, Japan, and the US).This will be Trump's first visit after taking charge at the Oval Office. 

 

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Trump during his visit to the US last month. During his trip, PM Modi said, "President Trump often talks about MAGA. In India, we are working towards a Viksit Bharat, which in American context translates into MIGA. And together, the India-USA have a MEGA partnership for prosperity."