PM Modi expected to host Vances for meal; US Vice-President's visit said to be private

NEW DELHI: At a time when India is in talks with US for a trade deal, govt said it will not compromise on the country's interests because of deadline pressure to clinch FTAs.

"We do not negotiate at gunpoint... until we are able to protect the interests of the country and people, it is never good to be hasty," commerce minister Piyush Goyal said. The comments came amid confirmation that US Vice-President J D Vance and wife Usha, and NSA Mike Waltz would visit Delhi, likely April 21.

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said that there was a lot of interest among trading partners to step up bilateral trade ties. The comments came amid confirmation that key members of Trump team - Vice-President J D Vance and national security adviser Mike Waltz - would visit Delhi.

Although the visit of Vance and his Indian-origin wife Usha was planned a few weeks ago, his arrival, likely on April 21, has taken on a different dimension, given Trump's tariff offensive. India would expect Vance, though he is himself a tariff warrior, to smoothen the wrinkles which may be holding up progress in talks.

While PM Modi is expected to host Vance and his family for a meal, his visit is said to be mainly private in nature. He's expected to visit Agra and Jaipur. Waltz, who will travel to India around the same time to participate in India-US Forum organised by Ananta Centre, is expected to hold talks with NSA Ajit Doval and foreign minister S Jaishankar. He's also likely to call on PM Modi.

Secretary of state Marco Rubio and secretary of defence Pete Hegseth are also expected to travel to India in the next few months before the big visit by US President Donald Trump for Quad summit that India will host. Dates for the summit will be finalised after elections in Australia next month.

Goyal said there have been 8 high-level delegation visits to India over the last two years. "India is well-positioned to engage in bilateral partnerships with countries that value reciprocity, trust, and fair play," he said, dismissing suggestions of any pressure to close the deals.