Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for US Vice-President J D Vance on Monday, as he begins his four-day visit to India. Vance, who will be travelling with his family including Indian-origin wife Usha Vance, is expected to discuss issues related to tariffs and the bilateral trade deal during his meeting with Modi. Sources said he is expected to press India on the issue of buying US defence equipment. Vance, wife Usha and their three children — Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel — are scheduled to land at the Palam airbase at 10 am on Monday, where they will be received by a senior Union minister. According to sources, Vance is expected to be accompanied by at least five senior officials, including from the Pentagon and the State Department. Vance’s first visit to India after assuming office as V-P comes in the backdrop of the sweeping tariff regime announced by US President Donald Trump — which has been paused for 90 days — against most countries, including India. New Delhi and Washington are holding negotiations to seal a bilateral trade agreement that is expected to address a range of issues, including tariff and market access. Hours after arriving in Delhi, Vance and his family are expected to visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in the Capital, and may visit a shopping complex selling traditional hand-crafted goods. Later in the evening, at 6:30 pm, Vance will meet Modi at the PM's 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence for official talks. The focus of the meeting is likely to be on early finalisation of the proposed bilateral trade pact as well as ways to boost the overall trajectory of ties between the two countries, sources said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra are expected to be part of the Indian team to be led by Modi, sources said. Following the talks, Modi will host Vance's family and the accompanying US officials for dinner. Later on Monday night, Vance and his family are scheduled to leave for Jaipur, where they are set to stay at the Rambagh Palace, a luxury hotel that once served as a royal guesthouse. On Tuesday, they are likely to visit some historical sites, including the Amer Fort which is a UNESCO world heritage site. In the afternoon, Vance is scheduled to address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur, sources said. On Wednesday morning, the US Vice-President and his family are expected to travel to Agra, where they will visit the Taj Mahal. They are also scheduled to go to Shilpgram, an open air emporium showcasing various Indian artefacts. They are expected to return to Jaipur the same evening. Sources said Vance and his family will then leave for the US from Jaipur on Thursday (April 24).
