The Indian government has clarified that it has not entered into any formal discussions with the United States regarding the acquisition of F-35 fifth-generation fighter aircraft, despite the topic being alluded to in the joint statement released during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in February.
In a written response to a question asked by Congress MP Balwant Baswant Wankhade in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh replied, "No formal discussions have been held as yet on this issue."
This explanation follows one day after a report by Bloomberg alleged India was not considering any short-term retaliation to the US's recent imposition of a 25% tariff hike on Indian exports. The report, citing unnamed officials, indicated India was considering alternative means of responding in the form of an enhancement in imports of US items such as liquefied natural gas, gold, and telecom hardware — while excluding any new defence acquisitions for the time being.
The Indian government was "shocked and disappointed" by the massive tariff increase declared by President Donald Trump, said the report. The government is now allegedly trying to keep trade talks with Washington going, though there is reportedly little desire for large-scale defence imports, including the F-35.
In another query, MP Wankhade had asked about US diplomatic action to ease tensions between India and Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack.
Referring to this, Mr. Singh stated that from April 22 to May 10, Indian authorities diplomatically interacted with various nations, including the US.
"All our interlocutors were conveyed a consistent message that India's response was focused, measured and nonescalatory," Singh stated. In speaking about contacts with the US, he continued: "With regard to contacts with the United States, it was conveyed to Vice President J.D. Vance on 09 May that India would respond suitably if Pakistan initiated a large-scale attack."
He also clarified that de-escalation talks were held directly between India and Pakistan through established military communication channels, and the initiative for those talks was first taken by Pakistan.
The already tense bilateral relations seem to have been yet again put to the test by recent comments from President Trump. Following the tariff announcement, he criticized India for having "strenuous and obnoxious" trade policies. He went on to threaten additional actions, pointing to continued energy and defense ties with Russia from India.
Subsequently, in his own social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote off India and Russia's strategic importance, calling them "dead economies" in a move that generated controversy.
MP Wankhade had also raised doubts if a formal offer was ever made by the US for the sale of F-35 jets after the top-level parleys earlier this year.
Minister Singh confirmed that while the India-US joint declaration dated February 13 — issued after PM Modi’s meeting with President Trump — mentioned Washington's intention to revisit its policy on transferring advanced military platforms such as F-35 fighter jets and undersea technologies to India, no actual negotiations or proposals have taken place to date.
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