India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, has stated that following the finalization of a trade agreement with the United States, India is prepared to order Boeing aircraft valued at up to $80 billion. This signals India's willingness to expand trade relations with the U.S.

Goyal previously mentioned on January 26 that India's demand for aircraft is close to $80 billion. "The order has not been placed yet, but it is ready," he added, noting that if engines and other components are included, the total value of goods imported from the U.S. "could exceed $100 billion for aircraft alone."

This development comes after an Airbus plane crash in India last June, which killed 241 passengers. The families of the victims are currently suing Boeing, alleging that a faulty dual-switch system caused the disaster.

Goyal also indicated that India has the potential to procure goods worth at least $500 billion from the U.S. over the next five years. However, he clarified that India has not made any specific investment commitments in its trade agreement with Washington.

Less than a week after India reached a trade agreement with the European Union, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media that the two nations had agreed on a trade deal. Trump stated that the U.S. would reduce tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, while India would eliminate tariffs on American goods, replace Russian oil with supplies from the U.S. and Venezuela, open sensitive markets such as agriculture, and purchase $500 billion worth of American products. The Indian Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the tariff reduction, given that Indian goods previously faced a 50% tariff upon entering the U.S., but he did not confirm any of the other details shared by Trump.

Although experts generally agree that India will increase its purchases from the U.S., they describe the goal of buying $500 billion worth of goods as "seemingly too ambitious." In the 2025 fiscal year, India's total imports amounted to $720.24 billion, with a trade deficit of $94.3 billion. Imports from the U.S. were valued at $45.3 billion.

Goyal said on January 26 that India and the U.S. would issue a joint statement within the next three to four days to finalize the first round of trade agreements between the two countries. Trump added that the 18% tariff on Indian exports to the U.S. would take effect after the joint statement is released. A formal agreement is expected to be signed in mid-March, at which point tariff concessions for U.S. goods entering India would become effective.

Since the announcement of the agreement, the Indian government has been vague about the specifics and has faced questions from opposition parties. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of "compromising" and surrendering on tariff issues.

The Indian government has yet to confirm details of the trade agreement put forward by Trump, such as eliminating tariffs on U.S. goods, halting oil imports from Russia, and committing to purchase $500 billion worth of American products. Experts suggest that Trump's statements appear "unrealistic" and could lead to the U.S. reneging on the trade deal, citing his past threats to raise tariffs on South Korea despite an agreement reached last July that was supposed to lower them.