PM Modi meets JD Vance: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with US Vice President JD Vance during a dinner for world leaders at the AI Action Summit in Paris, marking his first interaction with a member of the Trump administration ahead of his upcoming visit to Washington.
PM Modi meets JD Vance & Congratulates Him
During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi also greeted Vance’s wife, Usha Vance. A video shared on social media by French President Emmanuel Macron captured the moment Modi shook hands with Vance at the Elysee Palace on Monday night, congratulating him on the Republican Party’s victory in the US presidential election last November.
“Congratulations. Great, great victory,” Modi expressed. Vance responded, “Thank you so much. So nice to see you.”
When both leaders spoke at the AI Summit on Tuesday, JD Vance supported Modi’s assertion that humans cannot be replaced by technologies like AI. Modi highlighted the potential job losses as “AI’s most feared disruption,” emphasizing that history shows work evolves rather than disappears due to technology. “Its nature changes and new types of jobs are created. We need to invest in skilling and re-skilling our people for an AI-driven future,” Modi stated.
Following Modi’s remarks, JD Vance acknowledged the prime minister’s perspective that AI will enhance productivity. “It is not going to replace human beings; it will never replace human beings. I think too many leaders in the AI industry, when they discuss the fear of replacing workers, really miss the point,” he noted. “AI, we believe, is going to make us more productive, more prosperous, and more free.”
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were among the world leaders who attended the AI Action Summit co-chaired by Modi and Macron on Tuesday. The meeting between Modi and JD Vance took place just two days before the prime minister’s first meeting with President Donald Trump in his second term.
Sources familiar with the visit’s planning indicated that the informal meeting between Modi and JD Vance was finalized shortly before the prime minister’s arrival in Paris. They noted that this meeting was more of an introduction, with more significant issues expected to be discussed at Thursday’s meeting between Trump and Modi.
Modi will head to the US on Wednesday after wrapping up his bilateral talks with Macron in the port city of Marseille, where the two leaders will inaugurate a new Indian consulate and discuss a variety of topics, including collaboration on AI and civil nuclear energy.
During Trump’s first term, he and Modi enjoyed a good relationship, and before departing for the two-nation visit on Monday, the prime minister expressed his eagerness to “meet my friend” Trump, recalling their efforts to establish a comprehensive global strategic partnership with the US.
Washington AI Security Summit 2025
Modi described his upcoming visit to Washington as an “opportunity to build upon the successes of our collaboration in his first term and develop an agenda to further elevate and deepen our partnership,” particularly in areas like technology, trade, defense, energy, and supply chain resilience.
However, Modi is set to arrive in the US at a time when Trump has enacted a new series of executive orders, including imposing 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into the US. Trump also plans to introduce reciprocal tariffs this week to align with what other countries charge on US exports.
Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum are anticipated to heighten trade tensions and impact key exporters like Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea. On Monday, the Indian Steel Association voiced “deep concern” regarding the US tariffs on steel imports, stating that this action will disrupt global trade and exacerbate challenges for the steel industry.
“This new tariff is projected to reduce steel exports to the US by 85%, leading to a significant surplus that will likely inundate India, which is currently one of the few major markets without trade restrictions,” the Indian Steel Association remarked.
Trade, increased purchases of US-made military equipment, and energy collaboration are emerging as the primary topics for the upcoming meeting between Modi and Trump. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri mentioned last week that the Indian delegation anticipates “a more intense and ongoing dialogue” with the US on issues such as trade, investment, technology, and energy.
The visit to the US has been clouded by the deportation of 104 illegal migrants by the US, who were returned in handcuffs and shackles on a military flight to Amritsar on February 5. The US is in the process of repatriating nearly 600 migrants to India, although the timing for the next deportation flight remains uncertain.
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