New Delhi, US Vice President J.D. Vance, accompanied by his Indian-origin wife Usha Chilukuri Vance and their three children, is set to arrive in India on Monday for a four-day official visit as part of his broader international tour.
The visit marks the first by a sitting US Vice President to India in over a decade, with the last being Joe Biden’s trip in 2013.
Having landed in Italy on Friday, Vice President Vance will touch down at Air Force Station, Palam, New Delhi on Sunday evening.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to host Vance for talks and dinner at his official residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, on Monday evening.
The meeting is expected to cover the long-discussed India-US bilateral trade agreement and explore ways to deepen strategic and economic ties between the two democracies. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar are expected to join the discussions.
Meanwhile, the US Vice President will be accompanied by a five-member high-level US delegation, including representatives from the Pentagon and the State Department.
Following his engagements in the capital, Vance will fly to Jaipur on April 21, where he will stay until April 24. On April 22, he will visit the iconic Amer Palace in the morning, where a traditional Rajasthani welcome awaits him and his family.
They will don Jodhpuri ‘safas’ and enjoy folk performances, puppet shows, traditional attire, and regional cuisine during the two-and-a-half-hour tour. The palace will remain closed to the public for the duration of the visit, with 12 trained guides designated to assist and maintain protocol.
Rajasthan Police personnel, including plainclothes officers, have been mobilised, and a 20-vehicle convoy will support the US Vice President’s movements. A specially-equipped ambulance with senior doctors and emergency medical infrastructure has been arranged as part of the VVIP protocol.
Later that day, Vance will deliver a keynote address at the US-India Business Summit at the Rajasthan International Centre.
The summit will see participation from top Indian and American officials, with Vance expected to articulate his vision for enhanced bilateral trade and investment.
On April 23, Vice President Vance will travel to Agra aboard a US Air Force aircraft for a visit to the Taj Mahal. After spending approximately three hours at the monument, he will return to Jaipur the same afternoon and visit the Jaipur City Palace.
He is scheduled to meet Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Governor Haribhau Bagade later on April 22.
Vice President Vance will depart for Washington at 6:30 a.m. on April 24, concluding a visit that is expected to reinforce the growing partnership between the United States and India on both regional and global fronts.
(IANS)
