New Delhi, 22 April 2025 (dpa/MIA) – The US could provide cheap and dependable energy and defense equipment to India and the two could collaborate closely on technology and other aspects of trade, US Vice President JD Vance told a select audience Tuesday in the Indian city of Jaipur.

"The future of the 21st century will be determined by US-India relations," Vance said.

"If India and the United States work together successfully, we're going to see a 21st century that is prosperous and peaceful ... if we fail to work together successfully, the 21st century could be a very dark time for all of humanity."

A day after talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Vance said the two countries had finalized terms of reference for trade negotiations. The first part of the agreement is expected to be negotiated by November, according to top Indian officials.

US President Donald Trump's recent tariff announcements have led to individual countries trying to negotiate new terms of trade with the US.

Vance's India visit comes two months after Trump and Modi at a meeting in Washington set a goal of doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.

Vance said Trump was bringing about "profound changes" and a rebalancing of global trade.

He stressed the importance of partnering with those committed to working with the US to build a new, stable, fair and open system of global trade.

Vance said partners did not need to do things the same way as the US, but they would have to have common goals.

India has the world's fifth largest economy after the US, China, Germany and Japan. With a growing population, currently exceeding 1.4 billion and projected to reach 1.7 billion by 2050, it provides a substantial market for goods and services.

Vance is on a three-day trip to India with his wife Usha, who was born to Indian parents in California, and their three children.