India has postponed plans to purchase new American weapons and aircraft, while also canceling a planned visit to Washington by its Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, according to three Indian officials familiar with the matter.
This is seen as the first concrete indication that relations between the two countries have fallen to their lowest level in decades after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Indian exports.
According to a Reuters, Singh was expected to travel to Washington in the coming weeks to announce new defense acquisitions.
However, two sources confirmed the trip was canceled. On August 6, Trump imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, citing India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, which he claimed was helping finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine. This raised the total tax on Indian exports to 50 percent — among the highest for any U.S. trade partner.
Sources said talks to buy Stryker combat vehicles from General Dynamics and Javelin anti-tank missiles from Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have been halted. Singh was also to announce the purchase of six Boeing P-81 surveillance aircraft for the Indian Navy as part of a $3.6 billion deal. While defense dialogue continues, officials indicated procurement will only proceed once there is clarity on tariffs and bilateral ties.
India, the world’s second-largest arms importer, has diversified purchases from Russia toward suppliers like France, Israel, and the U.S., partly due to Russia’s reduced export capacity during the Ukraine war. However, officials said India is unlikely to fully sever defense ties with Moscow due to decades of military dependence.
Despite the tensions, broader U.S.-India defense cooperation — including intelligence sharing and joint exercises — remains unaffected, though rising nationalism and Trump’s rhetoric have complicated New Delhi’s political balancing between Washington and Moscow.
