Speaking mode

• US Vice-President J.D. Vance’s visit to India was a private affair, focusing on trade and tariffs.

• The visit was the first by an American Vice-President to visit India in 12 years, following Joseph Biden’s visit in 2013.

• The visit provided an opportunity to review decisions made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S., including the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) terms of reference.

• Vance responded to criticism of the Trump administration’s actions, stating that Trump aims to “rebalance global trade” and outlined the BTA as a “final deal” for “fairness.”

• He also emphasized the need for India to drop non-tariff barriers that stop U.S. access to the Indian market, particularly agricultural produce and dairy products.

• Vance also emphasized India’s role in co-production of U.S. defense hardware and repeated Trump’s offer of F-35 fighter jets.

• He criticized previous U.S. governments for cutting back on fossil fuel energy production and emphasized the importance of amending India’s nuclear liability law.