India breaks protocol to receive JD Vance, bilateral trade deal on table

FP News Desk • April 21, 2025, 16:29:54 IST

When Vance landed in India, he and his family were received by Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw. This marked a significant difference from the welcome former US President Joe Biden received in India. Here’s how

India breaks protocol to receive JD Vance, bilateral trade deal on table

US Vice President JD Vance was received at the Delhi airport by Union Cabinet minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on April 21, 2025. (Photo: X/Ministry of External Affairs)

India broke its protocols to welcome US Vice President JD Vance, who landed in India with his family. There was a difference in how Vance received a welcome in the country in comparison to the one received by former US President Joe Biden, who came to India during the G20 Summit.

On Monday morning, Vance landed in Delhi along with his wife, Usha Vance and their three children and a delegation of US government officials, including US National Security Council (NSC) Senior Director for South and Central Asia, Ricky Gill. At the airport, Vance was welcomed by the Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw. The Vice President was also given an official guard of honour upon his arrival.

VIDEO | US Vice President JD Vance (@VP) receives ceremonial Guard of Honour upon his arrival in Delhi.

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/wG1KaIxhHI
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 21, 2025

Are Trump tariffs the reason for the change?

During his visit to India in 2020, even Trump was not received by a cabinet minister. In February 2020, Trump and his family were received by MoS Hardeep Singh Puri at the airport. The recent change in the welcome ceremony of the Vice President begs the question of whether India is trying to make a good impression with the US amid the Trump tariff threats.

Despite Trump’s 26 per cent tariffs, India and the US have enjoyed warm ties under the Trump administration. Before the POTUS announced the reciprocal duties, India moved quickly to slash its levies on American products, including Kentucky bourbon and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Not only this, following talks between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India also agreed to buy more American goods, including crude oil, liquefied natural gas and high-tech weapons platforms, to chip away at its $47.7 billion trade surplus with the US.

The race to sign a bilateral trade deal

While speaking about the Trump tariff at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar stated that India is trying to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement with the United States by the fall of this year.

“It is not possible to speak about the impact of tariffs as we do not know. We have been engaging with the Trump administration early on. India is the only nation that has reached an understanding with the US to have a bilateral trade deal,” Jaishankar said at the Summit. However, things have changed since then.

UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will be heading to Washington soon to pitch for a bilateral trade deal between the United Kingdom and the United States. The matter was discussed during talks between Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Hence, a race to bag a hefty deal with the US is currently ongoing for both India and the UK. On Monday, as she started her trip to Washington, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that New Delhi is hoping to “positively conclude” the first part of a trade pact with the United States by this autumn.

“The long and short of engaging with the US is not just for this reciprocal tariff-related matter, but in the interest of our largest trading partner with whom we need to have an agreement,” Sitharaman said while addressing the Indian diaspora in San Francisco. Overall, India seems to be putting its best foot forward when it comes to warming ties with the Trump administration.

With input from agencies.