No Halt In U.S. Arms Purchases, Says Defence Ministry After Reuters Report

Earlier Report: India Had Allegedly Paused U.S. Defence Purchases Amid Tariff Dispute

The Defence Ministry on Friday firmly rejected claims that India had put on hold negotiations for significant U.S. weapons and aircraft procurements, calling such reports "false and fabricated."

An official statement clarified, "It is clarified that the various cases of procurement are being progressed as per the extant procedures."

This announcement followed a Reuters report - citing three Indian officials familiar with the matter - which stated that New Delhi had placed major U.S. defence deals on pause as a response to steep tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on Indian exports.

Alleged Pause: What Was Reported

According to Reuters, these pending agreements included:

• Stryker combat vehicles from General Dynamics
• Javelin anti-tank missiles developed by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin
• A $3.6 billion deal for six Boeing P8I reconnaissance aircraft for the Indian Navy

These talks were reportedly scheduled to be announced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during a planned visit to Washington, which has now been cancelled.

Tariff Tensions at Play

On August 6, Trump announced a 25% tariff increase on Indian goods-bringing total duties to a sweeping 50%-citing India's purchase of Russian oil as the rationale. This move is seen as punishment for what Trump termed India's indirect support for Russia's war efforts in Ukraine.

Reuters sources had previously suggested that these defence procurements might resume once there's clarity on trade policy and bilateral relations, though "just not as soon as they were expected to."

Other sources told Reuters there have been no formal directives to pause these deals, but to date, there has been "no forward movement at least for now."

Ministry Pushback & Ongoing Commitments

The Indian Defence Ministry, as well as the Pentagon, declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. New Delhi has pushed back on the narrative, stating it is being unfairly targeted, especially given that Western allies continue trading with Russia based on strategic interests.

Despite the earlier report, officials insist that procurement cases are proceeding per procedure, signaling no official halt or shift in policy.

Broader Strategic Context: Russia, the U.S., and India

India remains the world's second-largest arms importer. While Russia has traditionally dominated, recent diversification has included deals with France, Israel, and the United States-driven in part by Russia's strained production capacity amid the Ukraine crisis and field performance concerns for some Russian systems, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data.

Despite the tariff-induced turbulence, collaboration such as intelligence-sharing and joint military exercises between India and the U.S. continues unaffected.

New Delhi also remains open to revisiting its Russian energy dependence if more competitive alternatives, including the U.S., are available. However, Trump's tariff rhetoric combined with rising domestic sentiment complicates a sharper pivot away from Moscow. Notably, Russian oil discounts have narrowed to their lowest levels in years.

Historical tensions on both sides remain. India rebuffed Trump's assertion that the U.S. brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May, and the president drew further ire by hosting Pakistan's army chief at the White House.

Meanwhile, Russia continues attempting to strengthen its defence ties with India, offering high-end systems like the S-500 surface-to-air missile system. While India says it doesn't need new Russian weaponry at present, the longstanding reliance on Russian equipment means the need for support and maintenance remains substantial.