JD Vance To Arrive In New Delhi With Family Today, Security Beefed Up In National Capital

United States Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi with his family today for a three-day visit, during which he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Trade negotiations between India and the US are expected to be a key topic of discussion, reported Hindustan Times.

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However, the primary focus of Vance's trip to India will centre around cultural engagements and sightseeing excursions in Jaipur and Agra, aimed at familiarising his three children - sons Ewan and Vivek and daughter Mirabel - with the heritage of their mother, Usha, who has Indian roots.

At present, the only key official engagement on Vance's agenda is a meeting with MOdi, followed by a dinner hosted by the PM at his official residence on Monday evening.

According to sources familiar with the matter, several Union cabinet ministers, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, as well as senior BJP leaders, are expected to attend the event.

Due to a delay in Vance's arrival in Delhi - now scheduled several hours later than originally planned - a number of planned meetings with Indian leaders have been dropped from the itinerary.

Modi also has a packed schedule this week, including a visit to Saudi Arabia on April 22-23.

Upon arrival in the capital, Vance will receive a ceremonial guard of honour at the airport. He and his family are also expected to shop at a handicrafts and textiles outlet in central Delhi shortly after their arrival.

India is the second stop on Vance's week-long two-nation tour, which began on April 18 and included a visit to Italy. This is his first trip to India, following a previous meeting with Modi on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris in February.

The ongoing India-US talks on a bilateral trade agreement and the paused reciprocal tariffs introduced during President Donald Trump's term are expected to feature in Vance's formal interactions.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated at a recent briefing that the India-US strategic partnership encompasses a wide range of issues, and all relevant matters will be discussed during the visit. He expressed confidence that Vance's visit would further strengthen bilateral relations.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit would serve as an opportunity to assess the progress made on the outcomes of the joint India-US statement issued during Modi's visit to the US on February 13. The two nations will also exchange views on key regional and global developments.

After attending the dinner hosted by Modi, Vance and his family will travel to Jaipur on Monday night.

On April 22, he will be formally welcomed by the Rajasthan governor and chief minister and is expected to visit key landmarks such as Amer Fort, Jantar Mantar, City Palace and Hawa Mahal.

In the afternoon, Vance is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Rajasthan International Centre and hold meetings with political and business leaders.

On April 23, the family will proceed to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal.

Vance's visit follows that of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who was the first member of Trump's cabinet to visit India earlier this year. Gabbard attended a security conference and the Raisina Dialogue in March.

This marks Vance's third overseas trip since assuming office. His earlier visits included Paris and Munich in February, where his outspoken criticism of European allies over free speech and defence funding sparked controversy. In March, he visited Greenland with his wife and Congressman Michael Waltz, though the trip was met with a cold reception due to the Trump administration's past interest in acquiring the territory from Denmark.

Security tightened in Delhi

Vance, his wife Usha, and their three children -- Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel -- are scheduled to land at the Palam airbase at 10 am.

"We have already conducted mock drills according to the security protocol for the high level visit of the US vice president. Security has been tightened across different areas of Delhi to ensure that everything goes smoothly and no untoward incident happens during the visit," a senior police officer said.

The Delhi Traffic Police will also ensure that traffic is clear and his travel across the capital happens without any problem, he said.

Hours after arriving in Delhi, Vance and his family are scheduled to visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple and could also visit a shopping complex selling traditional Indian handcrafted goods, people familiar with the matter told PTI.

"We have conducted advance security liaisoning at the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple, which the US vice president will visit on Monday evening. We have thoroughly checked the premises and our teams will be deployed on the premises on the day of the visit too," the officer said.

Vance is expected to leave Delhi on Monday night and will travel to Jaipur and Agra thereafter.

(With PTI inputs)