【Epoch Times, February 10, 2025】Sources revealed that India is in negotiations with the United States to purchase and jointly produce combat vehicles, and eventually finalize a deal for a fighter jet engine. The disclosure of the news comes as Indian Prime Minister Modi is set to visit the United States this week.
As the world’s largest arms importer, India has traditionally relied heavily on Russia. Last month, during a call with Modi, Trump urged India to purchase more security equipment manufactured in the United States and move towards a “fair trade relationship.”
Before departing for France and the United States on Monday, Modi expressed, “I look forward to meeting my friend President Trump. This visit will be an opportunity to build on the success of our cooperation during his first term and set the agenda for further enhancing and deepening our partnership in areas including technology, trade, defense, energy, and supply chain resilience.”
Indian government officials stated that ahead of the meeting with Trump, Modi is preparing for additional tariff reductions, which could boost exports to India from the United States and avoid potential trade wars.
In 2023, the United States agreed to jointly produce the Stryker armored vehicle manufactured by General Dynamics with India to enhance India’s capabilities in countering threats from the Chinese Communist Party.
Sources revealed that India has commenced negotiations with the Trump administration regarding the purchase of Stryker armored vehicles. The plan envisions India acquiring several hundred Stryker armored vehicles equipped with anti-tank missile systems, followed by joint production of these vehicles through a state-owned enterprise.
Furthermore, sources indicated that India and the United States are working towards finalizing a contract for joint production of fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force in India. This deal was reached in 2023.
Sources mentioned that officials from India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will meet with U.S. officials and General Electric’s aviation division in the coming weeks to discuss finalizing the deal before March.
General Dynamics, General Electric, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, as well as the Indian Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comments.
It is currently unclear whether these two potential deals will be addressed during Modi’s meeting with Trump. Trump warned on Sunday that he would impose a new 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, which could also impact Indian companies.
(Reference: Reuters)