Expert Commentary: U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance's upcoming visit to India

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance's visit to India early next week, will mark his first visit to the South Asian nation since taking office. Vance, travelling with family, is set to meet with Prime Minister Modi and visit key cultural sites.
U.S.Vice President J.D. Vance’s visit builds on a cascade of high-level engagements between the United States and India since January, affirming India’s central place in Washington’s long-term Indo-Pacific calculus. Despite headwinds on tariffs and trade, Delhi has played a proactive hand. VP Vance’s visit could inject further momentum into the bilateral trade agreement, paving the way for a pragmatic, win-win deal within the anticipated timeline. 
With China courting Southeast Asia and looking for further leverage in South Asia, India’s role as a trusted and capable counterweight becomes indispensable to U.S. interests. As U.S.-China competition hardens, India’s strategic value only grows.

 (Farwa Aamer,  Director for South Asia Initiatives, Asia Society Policy Institute, New York)