Govt discusses aircraft manufacturing in India with Lockheed Martin amid F-35 jets purchase plan

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday held discussions with US defence major Lockheed Martin on opportunities for manufacturing aircraft in India, amid growing defence cooperation between the two nations and India’s plan to acquire F-35 stealth fighters.

Goyal met a delegation led by Michael Williamson, President, Lockheed Martin International, to explore avenues for aerospace and defence manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

“Explored opportunities for manufacturing aircraft in India to further strengthen the 'Make in India' initiative in the aerospace and defence sectors,” Goyal posted on X.

The discussions come days after US President Donald Trump said that America is paving the way for India to acquire the F-35 stealth fighter jets. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, Trump said both nations had agreed to expand their overall defence partnership.

“Starting this year, we will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars,” Trump said. “We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with F-35 stealth fighters," he added.”

Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the F-35, has not commented on the potential sale to India.

The F-35, the most advanced stealth fighter in the US arsenal, features state-of-the-art stealth technology, superior situational awareness, and networked combat capabilities. Designed to operate undetected at supersonic speeds, the aircraft comes in three variants: F-35A (conventional takeoff and landing), F-35B (short takeoff and vertical landing), and F-35C (carrier-based operations).

The aircraft was recently showcased at Aero India 2025, held at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru.

While details regarding India’s possible procurement remain undisclosed, discussions on defence collaboration with Lockheed Martin are in line with New Delhi’s push to expand domestic aerospace manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports.