Amid global concerns over United States President Donald Trump's tariff policies, US Vice President JD Vance, along with his wife Usha Vance and Mike Waltz, are expected to visit India between April 21 and 24. The visit reflects Washington's focus on its relationship with India.
During the visit, Vance and Waltz will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, S. Jaishankar and other senior officials. Vance itinerary also includes trips to Jaipur and Agra, in addition to official engagements, as per the reports.
Vance and Waltz's Visit to India
JD Vance's and Mike Waltz's visits are taking place against the backdrop of Trump's tariff policy, which has caused massive trade disruptions and raised fears of a global economic recession.
Trump on Wednesday announced a 90-day pause on his sweeping tariffs on all countries except China as nations around the world wilted under the impact of the seismic action.
A top source told PTI, "The US NSA is visiting India to unveil initiatives for cooperation in areas of high technology, critical minerals and export controls."
Reports suggest that Mike Waltz's visit to India will focus on the first round of dialogue on critical technologies, an initiative that began as iCET and has since been rebranded as TRUST under the Trump administration.
Mike Waltz is likely to meet with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during the visit, with both sides expected to discuss the future of bilateral collaboration on advanced technologies.
While JD Vance's visit is expected to be personal, as he is visiting with his wife, Usha Vance, and children – sons Ewan and Vivek and daughter Maribel.
What Is The TRUST Initiative?
The TRUST initiative primarily replaced the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, or iCET, that was launched during the Joe Biden administration. The iCET was launched by PM Modi and then-US President Joe Biden in May 2022 with an aim to forge greater collaboration between India and the US in areas of critical technologies.
Last year, the two sides unveiled a raft of transformative initiatives to deepen India-US cooperation in areas of semiconductors, critical minerals, advanced telecommunication and defence space.
