American Vice President JD Vance was on an official visit to India from April 21-24, 2025. During his trip he was accompanied by his wife Usha Chilikuri Vance and their three children. While Vance's visit may have raised hopes for the bilateral trade between the two countries, what really had the Indian public and media excited was the arrival of the second lady of America who is not only the first Indian-American second lady of the United States but also the first Hindu American one.
From media houses roaring about the second lady's Indian connection to people priding in an Indian-origin woman holding a powerful political status in America, it is safe to say as much as JD Vance's visit was looked upon by the Indian government, Usha Vance was the one who had all eyes on her.
Usha Vance has achieved 'celebrity' status
In his speech in Jaipur, JD Vance himself seemed to be awestruck with Usha's popularity in India, saying, “She’s a bit of a celebrity, it turns out, in India, I think more so than her husband."
This remains true for the most part considering various media outlets mentioned how the Vance kids had all worn Indian ethnic clothes during their visit.
Additionally, a lot of light was shined on Usha's Indian heritage which goes back to a Telugu-speaking family in Andhra Pradesh, specifically the Vadluru village in East Godavari district and Saipuram village in Krishna district.
During Usha's visit to India, many of her family members in the country came into the limelight such as her great aunt Shanthamma Chilikuri , a 96-year-old physicist and former village head P Srinivasa Raju whose grandfather was friends with Usha's grandfather.
Usha's great-aunt revealed in an interview that the last time she had seen the second lady was "as a child" when she was visiting relatives in Chennai. Usha's grandfather was one of the five brothers of her husband.
Raju, also shared that the village had built a temple at the site where Usha's ancestral family lived and how they would love for the second lady to visit the temple if she visited again.
Who is Usha Chilikuri Vance?
Usha Bala Chilikuri was born to Radhakrishna Chilikuri and Lakshmi Chilikuri, who migrated to the States in the late 1970s. Usha spent most of her childhood in San Diego and grew up to study at Yale Law School , where she met her now-husband, JD Vance. Ever since their marriage, the couple and their children have never visited their Indian roots, and the official trip marked their first-ever visit to India.
JD Vance himself seemed to be quite impressed with the country's culture and beauty, saying, “I am amazed by the ancient beauty of the architecture of India’s history, by the richness of India’s history and tradition, but also by India’s laser-like focus on the future. I think this appreciation for history and tradition and this focus on the future is very much something that I think animates this country in 2025. Now in other countries I’ve visited, it sometimes feels like there’s a flatness, a saneness, a desire to just be like everyone else in the world. But it’s different here."
From media houses roaring about the second lady's Indian connection to people priding in an Indian-origin woman holding a powerful political status in America, it is safe to say as much as JD Vance's visit was looked upon by the Indian government, Usha Vance was the one who had all eyes on her.
Usha Vance has achieved 'celebrity' status
In his speech in Jaipur, JD Vance himself seemed to be awestruck with Usha's popularity in India, saying, “She’s a bit of a celebrity, it turns out, in India, I think more so than her husband."
This remains true for the most part considering various media outlets mentioned how the Vance kids had all worn Indian ethnic clothes during their visit.
Additionally, a lot of light was shined on Usha's Indian heritage which goes back to a Telugu-speaking family in Andhra Pradesh, specifically the Vadluru village in East Godavari district and Saipuram village in Krishna district.
During Usha's visit to India, many of her family members in the country came into the limelight such as her great aunt Shanthamma Chilikuri , a 96-year-old physicist and former village head P Srinivasa Raju whose grandfather was friends with Usha's grandfather.
Usha's great-aunt revealed in an interview that the last time she had seen the second lady was "as a child" when she was visiting relatives in Chennai. Usha's grandfather was one of the five brothers of her husband.
Raju, also shared that the village had built a temple at the site where Usha's ancestral family lived and how they would love for the second lady to visit the temple if she visited again.
Who is Usha Chilikuri Vance?
Usha Bala Chilikuri was born to Radhakrishna Chilikuri and Lakshmi Chilikuri, who migrated to the States in the late 1970s. Usha spent most of her childhood in San Diego and grew up to study at Yale Law School , where she met her now-husband, JD Vance. Ever since their marriage, the couple and their children have never visited their Indian roots, and the official trip marked their first-ever visit to India.
JD Vance himself seemed to be quite impressed with the country's culture and beauty, saying, “I am amazed by the ancient beauty of the architecture of India’s history, by the richness of India’s history and tradition, but also by India’s laser-like focus on the future. I think this appreciation for history and tradition and this focus on the future is very much something that I think animates this country in 2025. Now in other countries I’ve visited, it sometimes feels like there’s a flatness, a saneness, a desire to just be like everyone else in the world. But it’s different here."
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