NEW DELHI, April 21, (AP): US Vice President JD Vance arrived in India on Monday for a four-day visit as New Delhi looks to avoid US tariffs, negotiate a bilateral trade deal with Washington and strengthen ties with the Trump administration. Vance will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the first day of his largely personal visit.

The two leaders are expected to hold discussions on bilateral ties outlined in February when Modi met President Donald Trump in Washington. The US is India’s largest trading partner and the two countries are now holding negotiations aiming to seal a bilateral trade agreement this year. They have set an ambitious target of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. If achieved, the trade deal could significantly enhance economic ties between the two countries and potentially strengthen diplomatic ties as well.

Vance’s first visit to New Delhi comes amid the backdrop of Trump's now-paused tariff program against most countries, including India. It also coincides with a rapidly intensifying trade war between Washington and Beijing, which is New Delhi’s main rival in the region. Modi and Vance are expected to "review the progress in bilateral relations” and "exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” India’s Foreign Ministry said last week.

On Monday, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Vance's visit will "further deepen the India-U.S. comprehensive global strategic partnership.” Vance was greeted with an Indian classical dance performance after he arrived at New Delhi’s Palam airport on Monday, following his visit to Rome, where he met Pope Francis on Easter Sunday.

He is accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance, a practicing Hindu whose parents are from India, along with their three children and officials from the U.S. administration. The family visited the Akshardham Hindu temple in New Delhi after their arrival and are expected to tour the iconic Taj Mahal monument and the 12th-century Amer Fort - a UNESCO world heritage site - during their trip. India is a close partner of the US and an important strategic ally in combating the rising influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region.