India has reportedly declined the U.S. offer to purchase F-35 stealth fighter jets, signaling a shift in its bilateral strategies with the U.S. According to Bloomberg, India has formally informed the U.S. that it will not proceed with the acquisition of F-35 jets, following President Trump’s 25% tariff on Indian imports, which is scheduled to take effect on August 7.

The Indian government is unlikely to approve any major new defense agreements with the United States in the near future, as reported by The Times of India, citing Bloomberg. Officials in New Delhi are reportedly disappointed by Trump’s declaration of a 25% tariff on Indian imports. Despite the setback, India aims to keep trade negotiations on course and is exploring ways to boost purchases from its largest trading partner, it added.

During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the White House in February, Trump offered to sell the high-cost F-35 fighter jets to India. However, Indian officials have indicated that the Modi government is more interested in forging a partnership to jointly develop and manufacture defense equipment within India, rather than purchasing expensive systems.

Though the government has ruled out immediate retaliation, it is actively exploring measures to reduce its trade surplus with the United States. These include increasing imports of American natural gas, gold, and communication equipment. However, officials cited in the report emphasized that defense purchases are not currently under consideration.

The expanded purchases could help rebalance trade over the next three to four years.

The F-35, the fifth-generation multirole fighter jet, was offered as part of a larger U.S. initiative to boost military sales to India. The proposal was intended to deepen defense cooperation and enable India to reduce its dependence on Russian military hardware, particularly the S-400 air defense.

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