PM Modi, JD Vance hail 'significant progress' on India-US trade pact, pledge deeper strategic cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met US Vice President JD Vance and hailed the “significant progress” in ongoing negotiations for a mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, aimed at promoting the welfare of citizens in both countries.

The leaders also acknowledged sustained efforts to deepen collaboration in key sectors such as energy, defence, strategic technologies, and more.

During their meeting, they exchanged views on a range of regional and global developments, emphasising the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in addressing shared challenges.

Vice President Vance was accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance, their children, and senior officials from the US administration.

“Prime Minister fondly recalled his visit to Washington DC in January and his fruitful discussions with President Trump, which laid down the roadmap for close cooperation between India and the US, leveraging the strengths of Make America Great Again (MAGA) and Viksit Bharat 2047,” PMO said in a statement.

PM Modi and Vice President Vance reviewed and positively assessed the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation.

“They welcomed the significant progress in the negotiations for a mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement focused on the welfare of the people of the two countries. Likewise, they noted continued efforts towards enhancing cooperation in energy, defence, strategic technologies and other areas. The two leaders also exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward,” the statement added.

The Prime Minister extended his best wishes to the Vice President, the Second Lady, and their children for a pleasant and productive stay in India.

He also conveyed his warm greetings to President Trump and said that he looked forward to his visit to India later this year.

The US Vice President, who is on a four-day official visit to India, arrived in the national capital on Monday. This is Vice President Vance’s first visit to India. He will also visit Jaipur and Agra before departing for Washington DC.

The high-level visit comes amid trade negotiations between the two countries following the US decision to impose reciprocal tariffs on several countries, including India.

The US has reduced new tariff rates on most of its trade partners to 10 per cent for 90 days to allow trade negotiations.

With inputs from agencies