Vance urges closer US India ties as bilateral trade talks continue amid tariff pressures

NEW DELHI – US Vice-President J.D. Vance, on a four-day visit to India, has urged his host country to work more closely with the US, and pressed for more trade concessions and deals in energy and defence equipment.

Mr Vance – known for his aggressive articulation of US President Donald Trump’s agenda that has irritated allies and opponents alike – was conciliatory towards India, stating that the Trump administration believed in a strong India-US relationship.

“I really believe that the future of the 21st century is going to be determined by the strength of the United States-India partnership,” Mr Vance said in a speech in the northern city of Jaipur on April 22.

“But I also believe that if we fail to work together successfully, the 21st century could be a very dark time for all of humanity,” he added.

Mr Vance is folding official engagements into a private multi-city visit to India with his family.

He met India Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talks and dinner on April 21, before Mr Modi left on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, a key oil supplier.

Mr Vance’s trip comes as India races to finalise a trade deal with the US before the end of a 90-day moratorium of Mr Trump’s so-called “reciprocal” tariffs aimed at engineering “fair” trade for the US.

The deal, set in motion after Mr Modi visited Mr Trump at the White House in February, aims to more than double bilateral trade to US$500 billion (S$653 billion) by 2030.

The US is India’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade touching US$129 billion in 2024 and a trade surplus of US$45.7 billion in India’s favour. Mr Trump has often called the South Asian country a “tariff king” for placing hefty duties on US imports and traditionally taking a