US Second Lady Usha Vance described her family’s first visit to India as a deeply personal and unforgettable experience filled with warmth and wonder. Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum in Washington on June 1, she shared candid and humorous reflections on the family’s four-day trip in April, calling it “the trip of a lifetime” for her children.
Vance revealed that her children had quickly formed a charming bond with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom they first met in Paris. “They were sort of sleep-deprived… and saw an Indian man with a white beard and white hair, and they just put him in the grandfather category immediately,” she said. PM Modi also surprised their five-year-old child with a birthday gift.
During their visit to Modi’s residence in New Delhi, the children warmly embraced the Prime Minister. “He was just incredibly kind and generous to them,” Vance recalled. She also shared that her son was fascinated by a cart of mangoes at the Prime Minister’s home and joked that he began “making plans to live there.”
The trip offered a valuable chance for her husband, JD Vance, and PM Modi to deepen their personal relationship. “I think it was a very productive conversation for JD and the Prime Minister,” she said.
The family’s itinerary was filled with cultural highlights. They visited the Taj Mahal at sunrise, explored Jaipur’s Amber Fort, and toured Delhi’s Akshardham Temple and the Cottage Industries Emporium. A puppet show from Andhra Pradesh, depicting scenes from the Ramayana, became a family favorite. “It was a huge hit. My kids have been trying to recreate it at home with construction paper,” Vance shared.
Each child found special moments during the trip. Ewan enjoyed the temple sculptures, Vivek was excited to see elephants and camels, and their daughter loved riding in an auto-rickshaw—all while being protected by the Secret Service.
Reflecting on the visit, Vance said the experience “could not have been any more special.”
