The Lesser-Known Truth Of Usha Vance's Parents

Radhakrishna and Lakshmi Chilukuri may be the in-laws of the vice president of the United States, but don't expect either of them to use that clout to, say, snag a TV show. The Chilukuris are known for preferring to stay out of the limelight. However, that's not to say the couple isn't wildly accomplished. 

We'll start with Usha Vance's dad, Radhakrishna, who goes by Krish. A lecturer at San Diego State University, Krish is an aerospace engineer. Though he retired in 2020, he'd previously served as the associate director of Collins Aerospace, and prior to that, he also held positions at United Technologies Aerospace Systems. Despite his success in the industry, other than academic works, Krish's online footprint is fairly minimal (and thanks to his daughter's MAGA fame, much of what is said about him revolves around that). However, it's likely he prefers it that way. 

On to Usha's mom, Lakshmi, she's an academic, too. In fact, Lakshmi is a teaching professor in molecular biology and is the provost — or academic head — of UC San Diego's Sixth College. Given her position at the university, Lakshmi has a more public-facing role than her husband, and in early 2025, she made headlines after CBS News pointed out that she'd actually pushed for greater inclusivity at the institution. In fact, in one letter to students, which appears to have been subsequently taken down from the college's website, Lakshmi spoke about the responsibility of students to combat racism both on campus and beyond. Lakshmi did not comment on the matter, though her son-in-law, JD Vance, told CBS News, "I love my mother-in-law. If she doesn't share my views on DEI I suppose I'll have to do what 99 percent of Americans do when confronted with a family member who doesn't always agree with them: get over it."

While Lakshmi Chilukuri's past work to foster greater diversity at UC San Diego's Sixth College certainly suggests her views are a little different from those of her son-in-law, don't expect her to come out saying so. After all, just as Usha Vance has made a point of staying mum even in the wake of scandalous (and oftentimes ridiculous) rumors about her, both Lakshmi and Radhakrishna Chilukuri are known for keeping their thoughts to themselves. That's especially true when it comes to politics. In fact, some may even remember insiders telling the Daily Mail that the family preferred not to talk about politics even before JD Vance set his sights on a government role.   

All that said, one thing that JD has shared about his in-laws on a number of occasions is the fact that he loves them, and that they have a major presence in his and his kids' lives. While lambasting CBS News for asking questions about Lakshmi's stance on DEI, the VP explained that instead of worrying about their differences in opinion, "I'll choose instead to focus on her kindness and the fact that she's an incredible mother and loving grandmother to the most important people in my life."

JD has also credited Lakshmi for helping out with his and Usha's three children, sharing in a 2020 interview with WCPT that she'd taken a sabbatical. Though he did receive a lot of backlash for lauding that decision and the fact that it was essentially unpaid labor, it does bear mentioning that it seemed to have been Lakshmi's decision in the first place. Once again, though, the professor opted not to say anything about the matter. The Chilukuris certainly have a lot of proximity to power, but it's pretty clear they prefer staying low-key, and that's their prerogative.