India has strongly rejected a report by The New York Times (NYT) that claimed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) supplied sensitive technology to a Russian arms agency. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the report “factually incorrect and misleading,” asserting that HAL follows all international regulations regarding strategic trade and end-user commitments.
The MEA emphasized that India has a strong legal and regulatory framework guiding strategic trade. It urged media outlets to exercise due diligence before publishing such reports. “We expect reputed media organizations to verify facts, which was overlooked in this case,” sources told ANI.
The NYT report alleged that a British aerospace company, H.R. Smith Group, shipped restricted equipment to an Indian firm between 2023 and 2024. It further claimed that the Indian firm, which was reportedly HAL, was the “biggest trading partner” of Russia’s state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport.
However, the report also admitted that there was no record proving that these products reached Russia. It only suggested that after the parts were received by HAL, they were later sent to Russia with the same product codes.
The Indian government has reaffirmed its commitment to global trade regulations and strategic controls. It maintains that all its defense and aerospace exports comply with international commitments and that the allegations in the NYT report are politically motivated.
India continues to be cautious in its international trade dealings, ensuring transparency and compliance with global norms while rejecting baseless accusations that question its policies.
