JD Vance dials PM Modi, discusses India-US ties

Vice President JD Vance made a phone call to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, discussing ways to strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in various key areas, as unrest persists in the West Asia. Modi expressed his congratulations to Vance and his wife on the arrival of their son and conveyed his best wishes to the family through a social media post.

The discussion came in the wake of a defense pact signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, viewed as a sign of a new regional alignment amid the ongoing conflicts. The American side has not yet revealed specifics of the conversation. It remains unclear if the proposed India-US trade agreement was discussed during the call. In June, Modi and former US President Donald Trump had directed their officials to work on a balanced, mutually beneficial, and commercially meaningful trade agreement.

Relations between India and the US have suffered since Washington imposed tariffs on India last year and following Trump's claims of de-escalating the India-Pakistan military clashes in May 2025. New Delhi firmly rejected these claims, stating that the cessation of hostilities resulted from direct talks between the two countries, with no involvement from the US.

Furthermore, changes in US immigration policies and the decision to raise the H1B visa fee have also impacted bilateral ties. Nevertheless, both nations have been making efforts to mend relations, with talks underway to finalize the trade agreement.