India's stealth fighter dilemma is becoming impossible to ignore. As China rapidly expands its fleet of J-20 stealth fighters and Pakistan moves closer to acquiring Chinese J-35 jets, India still has no operational fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Now Russian President Vladimir Putin has revived his long-standing offer to sell and jointly manufacture the Su-57 in India, complete with technology transfer and local production. Should India buy a stop-gap fifth-generation fighter to bridge the capability gap until the indigenous AMCA enters service? Or should New Delhi stay the course and wait for its homegrown stealth jet? This report breaks down the Su-57, F-35 and AMCA debate, China's growing air power advantage, Pakistan's stealth ambitions, and why India's biggest challenge may not be Russia or America—but time itself.