American Vice President JD Vance’s was greeted with a ceremonial Guard of Honour and traditional dance performances upon his arrival at Delhi’s Palam Airport. This reception reflects India’s desire to scale up its relationship with the United States, especially in the fields of trade and defence.
JD Vance’s India Visit: How To Balance Diplomacy with Culture
On April 21, 2025 United States’ Vice President JD Vance started his four-day visit to India, which includes a family wedding and talks with PM Modi about doubling bilateral trade between the countries to USD 500 billion by 2030 and increase defence cooperation.
Vance’s schedule includes everything from a trip to Agra for a family wedding to official negotiations—most importantly a meeting with Prime Minister Modi at Lok Kalyan Marg—and a planned tour of the Taj Mahal. Political commentators have said that this blend of personal and high-stakes diplomacy while Trump’s tariffs loom large over New Delhi is a testament to India’s importance as a regional point of contact for America to counterbalance China’s growing economy.
Outlook followed Trump’s campaign and ascension to US President through its issues in November 2024— Whitewash and Cry Freedom. On November 11, 2024, Outlook’s editor Chinki Sinha noted that, regardless of the outcome of the election, “no matter which president comes and rules from the White House there is much that will remain unchanged. “It will be the whiteness that will reign. By whiteness, I mean many things,” she wrote.
In this issue, Ankita M Kumar wrote about the resurgence of Donald Trump, noting that “despite not being in power, Trump has been a significant part of the American consciousness over the past three years.” Outlook’s Foreign Affairs Editor Seema Guha pondered over whether the US, elections-wise and going forward, would be defined by world conflicts. Ruchira Gupta wrote on how US’s elections were being defined by abortion rights.
After Trump’s elevation to the post of President, Outlook once again looked at the consequences of his win in its November 21, 2024. Amir Ali wrote about Trump’s “wapsi” to the White House, and Ankita M Kumar wrote about how, after the election results, “the mood among women…on Thursday was sombre (because) this election clearly proves that patriarchy will prevail.”
Thereafter, in its April 1, 2025 issue, World At Reset, Outlook looked into how Trump's foreign policies were changing the pre-existing global political scenarios. In the issue, Anil Wadhwa asked the pertinent question: Is US's sudden friendship with Russia due to China's growing importance on the world stage? Uma Purushottam wrote on how Trump's new manufacturing-first policy could also benefit India's Make in India scheme. The issue looked into the slew of litigation filed across American courts against various actions of the Trump administration in an article by Avantika Mehta who wrote that "a nation at a critical constitutional juncture. The issue also explored the consequences of Trump's policies on Nato, written by Danita Yadav.
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All in all, Vance’s visit comes at a critical time for US-India relations. For India, achieving a tariff rollback without compromising is paramount, particularly as it pursues Make in India initiatives and broader Indo‑Pacific partnerships.
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