'My Wife's A Bit Of A Celebrity Here': JD Vance Says There's A Pride In Being Indian

Last Updated:April 22, 2025, 16:49 IST

US Vice President JD Vance, on the second day of his India visit, hailed the friendship between the two countries and praised PM Modi as a "tough negotiator".

US Vice President JD Vance addressing an event in Jaipur. (Reuters)

US Vice President JD Vance, on the second day of his India visit, said he was amazed by India’s ancient heritage and the richness of Indian traditions, along with the country’s laser-like focus on the future.

Addressing an event in Jaipur, Vance said, “I am amazed by the ancient beauty of the architecture of India’s history, by the richness of India’s history and tradition, but also by India’s laser-like focus on future. I think this appreciation for history and tradition and this focus on the future is very much something that I think animates this country in 2025. Now in other countries I’ve visited, it sometimes feels like there’s a flatness, a saneness, a desire to just be like everyone else in the world. But it’s different here."

Vance said the United States is proud of the deep connection the country has with India, and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hospitality when the two leaders met for delegation-level talks on Monday. He asserted that the US sees a friend in India.

‘There’s A Pride In Being Indian’

Vance said he felt a vitality in India, along with “a sense of infinite possibility of new homes to be built, new skylines to be raised, and lives to be enriched, and there’s a pride in being Indian, a feeling of excitement about the days that lie ahead. Now it’s a striking contrast with too many in the West, where some in our leadership class seem stricken by self-doubt and even fear of the future."

He also mentioned that this was the first time he was visiting his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance’s birthplace, adding, “She’s a bit of a celebrity, it turns out, in India, I think more so than her husband."

Vance called on India to give greater access to its markets, buy more American energy and defence hardware as he outlined the vision for stronger ties between the two countries. He said India and the US can accomplish a lot together in diverse areas like high technology, defence, trade and energy.

He also repeatedly praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “President Trump and I know that Prime Minister Modi is a tough negotiator. He drives a hard bargain. It’s one of the reasons why we respect him. And we don’t blame Prime Minister Modi for fighting for India’s industry, but we do blame American leaders of the past for failing to do the same for our workers."

Vance Says His Son Wanted To Say In India

Vance expressed gratitude for Prime Minister Modi’s hospitality while hosting his family at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, recalling a moment when the Indian leader stopped by to wish his son Vivek a happy birthday on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris.

He said his kids only liked two world leaders. “The first, of course, is President Trump. He just has a certain energy about them – about him. But Prime Minister Modi, it’s the exact same thing. Our kids just like him. And I think that because kids are such good, strong of characters, I just like Prime Minister Modi too. And I think it’s a great foundation for the future of our relationship."

Sharing an anecdote about his eldest son Ewan, Vance said, “After we had dinner at the prime minister’s house, the food was so good and the prime minister was so kind to our three children that Ewan came up to me afterwards and he said, ‘Dad, you know, I think maybe I could live in India.’ But I think after about 90 minutes in the Jaipur sun today at the Great Palace, he suggested that maybe we should move to England. So you take the good with the bad here."

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