The Indian government has strongly refuted claims made by The New York Times in a report published on 28 March 2025, which alleged that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) supplied military-grade equipment to Russia in violation of international restrictions.
The American newspaper labeled HAL as a “major supplier” to Moscow’s sanctioned state weapons agency, Rosoboronexport, and suggested that the Indian public-sector aerospace and defense company had facilitated shipments of equipment procured from British manufacturer H.R. Smith Group to Russia. However, H.R. Smith Group has clarified that the equipment in question is not intended for military use.
While the report acknowledged that there was no direct evidence proving H.R. Smith’s products were sent to Russia, it cited shipment records indicating that HAL had received parts from the British manufacturer and, within days, exported components with the same product codes to Russia.
Furthermore, The New York Times alleged that between 2023 and 2024, H.R. Smith Group made 118 shipments of “restricted technology” worth $2 million to HAL. It also claimed that HAL, in turn, exported 13 shipments of similar components to Rosoboronexport for $14 million during the same period.
Indian Govt Rejects NYT’s Claims
Indian government sources have dismissed the report as “factually incorrect” and “misleading,” accusing the publication of distorting facts to suit a political agenda.
India Trashes New York Times Report. Sources say that the said “report is factually incorrect and misleading. It has tried to frame issues and distort facts to suit a political narrative.’ pic.twitter.com/UsNQ3AzC8k
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) March 31, 2025
They stated, “It (New York Times) has tried to frame issues and distort facts to suit a political narrative. Indian entity has scrupulously followed all its intl obligations on strategic trade controls & end-user commitments. India’s robust legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade continues to guide overseas commercial ventures by its companies. We expect reputed media outlets to undertake basic due diligence while publishing such reports, which obviously was overlooked in the instant case.”
This is not the first instance of The New York Times publishing reports critical of India. The American newspaper has faced accusations of bias in the past, with Indian media outlets, frequently challenging its coverage of India-related issues.
(With inputs from OpIndia)
