India has rejected allegations made in a recent New York Times report, which claimed that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) provided sensitive technology to a Russian arms agency. Citing sources from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), news agency ANI reported on Monday that HAL has fully complied with all international trade regulations and end-user commitments.
“The report is misleading and factually incorrect. It attempts to manipulate facts to fit a particular political agenda,” ANI quoted the MEA as saying.
The Indian government emphasized its strict legal and regulatory framework for strategic trade and called on media organizations to exercise due diligence before publishing such claims.
The NYT report suggested that a British aerospace company, part of the H.R. Smith Group, supplied restricted equipment to an Indian firm between 2023 and 2024. This firm, according to the report, was allegedly the "largest trading partner of Russia’s Rosoboronexport."
However, the report also acknowledged that there was no concrete evidence proving the British-made equipment was ultimately sent to Russia. It noted that while the components were later shipped with identical product codes, there was no indication that HAL had assured the British supplier they would not reach Russia.