US Vice President JD Vance met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss trade and other issues this week as the two countries seek to forge an agreement over tariffs by mid-year.
In a speech on Tuesday in the northwest city of Jaipur, Vance said the US was keen to sell more energy and defence equipment to India, while noting that ties between the two nations will shape the century. But he also voiced a curious warning.
“If India and the United States work together successfully, we’re going to see a 21st century that is prosperous and peaceful,” he said. “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.”
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His remark about a “very dark time for all of humanity” was not explained, but is assumed to refer to tensions with China and Russia, related to trade, the war in Ukraine and other geopolitical concerns.
Vance, who repeatedly praised Modi following a dinner they had on Monday, is on a mostly personal, four-day visit to India along with his wife, who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and their three children.
The trip comes at a time when India is rushing to clinch an early trade deal with the US – its largest trading partner – before the end of the 90-day pause on the steep tariffs announced by President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Prime Minister Modi is a tough negotiator. He drives a hard bargain,” Vance said to big laughter from the audience.
Earlier, the two leaders noted continued efforts towards enhancing cooperation in energy, defence and strategic technologies, among others, a statement from Modi’s office said after their talks on Monday.
Global conflicts
They discussed regional and global issues and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward, it said, reiterating a standard Indian line about global conflicts without naming any. New Delhi has in the past used this formulation for the war in Ukraine.
“(The) prime minister conveyed his warm greetings to President Trump and said that he looked forward to his visit to India later this year,” it added.
Statements from the Trump administration said the two countries agreed on a roadmap for further discussions on trade.
Vance’s office said talks present “an opportunity to negotiate a new and modern trade agreement focused on promoting job creation and citizen well-being in both countries.”
In a statement on Monday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer pointed to a “serious lack of reciprocity in the trade relationship with India” that needed to be resolved.
Vance landed in New Delhi following a visit to Rome, where he held a private meeting with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday.
‘Fairness’ sought in trade agreement
Modi and Vance reviewed progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation outlined in February when the Indian leader met President Donald Trump in Washington, their offices said. It includes “fairness” in their two-way trade and growing their defence partnership.
The Indian prime minister was one of the first world leaders to meet Trump after he took office. Reuters has reported that his government is open to cutting tariffs on more than half of its imports from the US, which were worth a total $41.8 billion in 2024, as part of a trade deal.
However, the US president has continued to call India a “tariff abuser” and “tariff king”.
Bilateral trade between the US and India reached $129 billion in 2024, with a $45.7 billion surplus in favour of India, US government trade data shows.
A wide swathe of Delhi’s goods exports face a levy of over a quarter of their value under the new measures. A 10% blanket duty on many US imports remains in effect.
India hopes to “positively conclude” the first part of a trade pact by autumn, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in San Francisco on Monday.
Vance said he and Modi made good progress on trade talks, and confirmed that the two sides had finalised the terms of reference for the trade negotiation.
“It sets a roadmap toward a final deal between our nations,” he said.
- Reuters with additional input and editing by Jim Pollard
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