US Vice President JD Vance and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are expected to visit India later this month, marking significant diplomatic engagements between the two nations. The visits, likely to occur between April 21 and 25, coincide with ongoing efforts to finalise a bilateral trade agreement between India and the US.

This trade deal has been a focal point of discussions since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with US President Donald Trump in February, where they agreed to work towards concluding the first phase of the agreement by the end of the year, aiming for bilateral trade worth $500 billion by 2030.

Vice President JD Vance's visit will include official meetings with Prime Minister Modi and other senior officials, as well as private visits to Jaipur and Agra. He will be accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance, whose parents are of Indian origin, making this her first visit to India as the Second Lady. 

Vance's trip is seen as an opportunity to strengthen ties and potentially ease hurdles in trade negotiations, given his past stances on tariffs.

Meanwhile, NSA Mike Waltz's visit is centred around the TRUST (Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology) initiative, a rebranded version of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). 

Waltz is expected to meet with his Indian counterpart, NSA Ajit Doval, to discuss future collaboration in critical technology areas. He will also participate in a closed-door India-US Forum and is likely to meet Prime Minister Modi, although the timing may be challenging due to Modi's scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia during April 22-23.

Both Vance and Waltz are expected to engage in formal and Track-II dialogues in Delhi, aimed at deepening India-US relations. Their visits follow a recent trip by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and precede anticipated visits by other high-ranking US officials, including Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and potentially President Donald Trump for the Quad summit.

These engagements highlight the growing strategic partnership between India and the US, focusing on trade, defence, and technology cooperation.

Agencies