International
oi-Ruchika Pareek
India
has
rejected
a
report
by
The
New
York
Times
that
alleged
Hindustan
Aeronautics
Limited
(HAL)
supplied
sensitive
technology
to
a
Russian
arms
agency,
calling
it
factually
incorrect
and
misleading.
According
to
government
sources,
the
Ministry
of
External
Affairs
emphasized
that
HAL
has
strictly
adhered
to
all
international
obligations
regarding
strategic
trade
controls
and
end-user
commitments.
“We
have
seen
the
report
published
by
The
New
York
Times,
and
it
is
misleading,
distorting
facts
to
fit
a
political
narrative.
The
Indian
entity
mentioned
has
diligently
followed
all
international
obligations
on
strategic
trade
controls
and
end-user
commitments.
India’s
strong
legal
and
regulatory
framework
on
strategic
trade
continues
to
govern
the
overseas
commercial
activities
of
its
companies.
We
expect
reputed
media
houses
to
conduct
basic
due
diligence
before
publishing
such
reports,
which
was
clearly
overlooked
in
this
case,” sources
stated.
Source:
PTI
According
to
The
New
York
Times,
the
Indian
firm
received
equipment
from
the
British
aerospace
manufacturer
H.R.
Smith
Group
and
then
allegedly
shipped
parts
to
Russia
“with
the
same
identifying
product
codes.”
The
report,
citing
unspecified
“documents,”
claimed
that
one
of
the
largest
corporate
donors
to
the
populist
Reform
UK
party
had
supplied
nearly
$2
million
worth
of
transmitters,
cockpit
equipment,
antennas,
and
other
sensitive
technology
to
a
major
supplier
of
Moscow’s
sanctioned
state
weapons
agency.
Between
2023
and
2024,
the
British
aerospace
company,
a
part
of
H.R.
Smith
Group,
allegedly
sent
this
equipment
to
an
Indian
firm
identified
as
the
leading
trading
partner
of
the
Russian
arms
agency,
the
report
claimed.
In
December
2023,
the
UK
issued
a
‘red
alert’ to
companies,
warning
about
the
risk
of
sensitive
equipment
being
diverted
to
Russia
through
intermediaries.
The
United
States
and
most
European
nations
have
imposed
sanctions
on
Russian
entities
following
Moscow’s
full-scale
invasion
of
Ukraine.
However,
India
has
consistently
maintained
that
the
conflict
should
be
resolved
through
diplomacy.
In
2023,
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
visited
both
Moscow
and
Kyiv,
calling
for
an
end
to
hostilities
and
advocating
for
peace.
