The Indian government clarified on Friday that there have been no formal discussions regarding the purchase of F-35 stealth fighter jets from the United States. The statement came in response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha by MP Balwant Baswant Wankhade, who asked whether any official proposal had been received from the US.

Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh replied in writing:

"No formal discussions have been held as yet on this issue."

He also referred to a joint statement issued by India and the US in February, which said that the US would “undertake a review of its policy on releasing fifth-generation fighters (such as the F-35) and undersea systems to India.” However, that review has not yet led to any concrete discussions or proposals.

Back in February, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington, then-US President Donald Trump had announced intentions to boost defense ties with India.

“Starting this year, we will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars. We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters,” Trump said at a joint press conference with PM Modi at the White House.

Despite that statement, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has maintained a cautious stance. In March, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh clarified that there had been no official offer from the US, nor had the IAF explored the possibility of acquiring the F-35s.

Meanwhile, a Bloomberg report published on Thursday claimed that India had informed the US it was “not keen” on purchasing the jets. The report surfaced just hours after Trump announced a 25% tariff—plus additional penalties—on Indian imports, citing India’s continued purchases of oil and weapons from Russia as one of the reasons. However, there has been no official confirmation of the Bloomberg report.

The F-35, developed by Lockheed Martin, is widely regarded as one of the world’s most advanced and versatile fighter aircraft. It comes in three main variants:

F-35A – Conventional takeoff and landing

F-35B – Short takeoff and vertical landing

F-35C – Carrier-based operations

As of now, India remains focused on bolstering its indigenous fighter jet capabilities, including the Tejas program and the upcoming fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), while keeping future options open.