United States Vice-President JD Vance started his four-day official visit to India from April 21 to April 24, by visiting the Akshardham Temple in Delhi on Monday. He was accompanied by Second Lady, Usha, and their three children — Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. By evening today, around 6.30 pm, the Vice President arrived at PM Narendra Modi’s residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. The two leaders are currently holding bilateral talks with a special focus on trade and tariffs.
Upon arrival at the Palam Airport, Vance was welcomed by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. He was given a ceremonial guard of honour along with other visiting dignitaries. His high-profile visit to India comes amid ongoing negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement between New Delhi and Washington. The meeting is aimed at resolving key issues such as tariffs and market access.
Ahead of Vance’s visit, Delhi and Noida commuters on Monday morning faced heavy traffic, particularly on National Highway-24. Long vehicle queues were witnessed during peak hours, and major delays were reported today. Meanwhile, Delhi Traffic Police advised people to avoid key roads between 9 am to 12 pm and again between 6 pm and 9 pm.
Vance and his family also paid a visit to the Central Cottage Industries Emporium in Janpath. They explored a variety of traditional Indian handicrafts. He was the last foreign leader to meet Pope Francis on Sunday at the Vatican, expressed his condolences on his passing today. In a post on X, Vance wrote, “I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful.”
