Second Lady of the United States, Usha Vance, described her family’s recent trip to India as the “trip of a lifetime,” offering a meaningful opportunity to experience the richness of Indian culture, hospitality, architecture, and more.

“My children had never been to India. So, it was just sort of mind blowing from their perspective,” she said during a Fireside Chat with US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Chairman John Chambers on June 2, 2025, on the sidelines of the 2025 USISPF Leadership Summit, at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington D.C. 

“And then for me and JD [Vice President Vance], I think it just could not have been any more special. We had the opportunity to see some of the greatest sites in north India. We’re looking forward to our next trip and trying to get to the parts of the country where my family is from as well.”

Vance recalled that one of the highlights of their visit was meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New Delhi, an experience she called “very special.” She noted that the family had previously met the Prime Minister in Paris, and the familiarity created a warm, personal connection for the kids.

“We’d actually had a chance to meet him before. And it’s funny, my kids saw him. They were sort of sleep deprived in Paris, and they saw an Indian man with a white beard and white hair, and they just put him in the grandfather category immediately. So, they are very into him. They just love him. And he really cemented his status by giving our five-year-old a birthday present that day,” she said.

Describing the atmosphere during their visit to the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi, she added, “They just sort of ran up. They were hugging him. He was just incredibly kind and generous to them.”

Vance emphasized that the trip not only allowed Vice President JD Vance and PM Modi to engage in a “very productive conversation,” but also gave their family the chance to deepen personal connections, something she believes contributes positively to the U.S.-India relationship.

Among the cultural experiences that left a lasting impression on the children was a traditional puppet show showcasing storytelling traditions from across India, including Andhra Pradesh, her family’s native region. “There were bits from the Ramayana. There were sort of comedic bits with animals. And it was, it was a huge hit. My kids have been trying to recreate it at home with construction paper,” she said.

She also shared a lighthearted moment when her son helped himself to an entire cart of mangoes and casually told the Prime Minister that he could “maybe live in his house” while making plans of his own.

“Actually, they’ve been all over the place, and they’ve had wonderful opportunities to see the world, but this was really special to them,” Vance said. She shared that their eldest son was captivated by the temple sculptures, calling it “incredible craftsmanship,” while their second child was thrilled to see elephants, peacocks, and camels. Their daughter especially enjoyed riding in an auto rickshaw.

Reflecting on the broader meaning of the trip, Vance described the U.S.-India relationship as “very personal.”

“I have family members who are in India, and I have many family members here in the United States, and I did grow up visiting India and visiting those family members, and they grew up visiting me. So that’s always been a relationship that I’ve personally thought of as very important,” she said.

She continued, “I think this is a time of great opportunity, and I think if my husband were here, he’d say the same thing. Obviously, the United States and India, their relationship has ebbed and flowed at times. There are times when one country’s needs and one country’s goals are different from the other.”

Nonetheless, Vance underscored the promise both nations hold for the future. She highlighted the established Indian American community in the U.S. and the many people in India with deep familiarity and fondness for the United States. 

“When we were visiting recently, I was struck by the number of people who came up to me to say how much they loved our country, how they visited family, how they visited just for pleasure, that they were hoping for a close relationship, looking forward,” she said. “And I think these personal ties actually really have something to do with it.”

On a separate note, Vance also spoke about the Second Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge, a new initiative to help children maintain reading habits during the summer months.

“It’s a time of a lot of learning loss. It’s a time when there are distractions galore,” she said, explaining that the challenge encourages kids to read 12 books, document them, and send their lists to her office. Children who complete the challenge will receive a small prize and be entered into a lottery for a chance to visit the White House and enjoy a day of fun in Washington D.C.

“I’m conscious that reading scores have dropped over time, and I do think that that is something that, of course, lots of people are working to rectify, and I wanted to do something small to contribute to that,” she said.

Vance also reflected on her childhood growing up in a diverse, predominantly Asian American community.

“So it was really a community, I think, where everyone felt a sense of purpose and a sense of working together. Everyone was really invested in being a part of this country and being and pursuing the American Dream for themselves and their kids,” she said. “So I just felt like it was a time of sort of limitless possibility and encouragement, and I’m really grateful to have grown up there.”

Introducing her at the event, USISPF President and CEO Mukesh Aghi praised Vance as someone who “epitomizes the American dream,” describing her as a hard-working child of immigrants who rose from humble beginnings to academic and professional excellence, including time at Cambridge, Yale, and the Supreme Court.

The event also featured remarks from USISPF Chairman Chambers, a fireside chat with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick; and conversations with Ambassador of India to the United States, Vinay Kwatra; Congressman Rich McCormick (R-GA-07), co-Chairman of the India and Indian-American Caucus; and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT). 

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