India-US relations have ‘ebbed and flowed’, but now offer great promise: Usha Vance at USISPF summit

Vance recalled her recent family trip to India with US Vice President J.D. Vance and their three children. (File photo)

US Second Lady Usha Vance described the India-US relationship as deeply personal and underlined the immense potential in strengthening bilateral ties during her remarks at the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit in Washington.

Speaking at a fireside chat moderated by USISPF Chairman and JC2 Ventures CEO John Chambers, Vance said, “It is a very personal relationship because I have family members who are in India, and I have many family members here in the United States. I grew up visiting India and spending time with those family members.”

Reflecting on the current state of the bilateral relationship, she added, “This is a time of great opportunity. If my husband were here, he’d say the same thing. Obviously, the United States and India....the relationship has ebbed and flowed at times, but we’re now at a moment when a strong and growing Indian-American community and enduring people-to-people ties are creating meaningful momentum.”

Vance recalled her recent family trip to India with US Vice President J.D. Vance and their three children. “I was struck by how many people came up to me and expressed admiration for the United States, many shared stories of visiting for family or travel, and expressed hopes for even closer ties. These personal connections really matter,” she noted.

During the summit, USISPF presented the 2025 Global Leadership Awards to IBM Chairman Arvind Krishna, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, and Hitachi Executive Chairman Toshiaki Higashihara. The awards recognise outstanding contributions to the US-India-Japan economic partnership and mark the first time honourees represent all QUAD nations: Australia, India, Japan, and the US.

USISPF is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering stronger commercial and strategic ties between the United States and India.

(With inputs from agencies)