NEW DELHI: US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard will visit India as part of an Indo-Pacific tour, making her the first senior official from President Donald Trump's administration to do so.
Gabbard took to social media platform X, announcing visits to Japan, Thailand, and India, with a brief stop in France before returning to Washington, D.C.
She highlighted the significance of “building strong relationships, understanding, and open lines of communication” to further President Trump’s objectives of peace, freedom, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Gabbard’s trip follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in February, during which he met with the DNI and praised her as a “strong votary” of the India-US partnership.
Gabbard had called it an "honour" to welcome PM Modi, adding that she looked forward to continue strengthening the US-India friendship.
The first leg of her journey takes her to Honolulu, Hawaii, where she will meet with US intelligence community partners, officials at US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), and American military personnel engaged in training exercises.
A former congresswoman and Army veteran, Gabbard has deep ties to the Indo-Pacific, having spent part of her childhood in the region. She represented Hawaii's 2nd congressional district as a Democrat from 2013 to 2021 before switching to the Republican Party in 2024.
Her visit to India coincides with growing defense and intelligence cooperation between Washington and New Delhi.
Further details about her engagements in India are yet to be revealed.