HAL denies allegations of tech transfer to Russia, calls NYT report misleading

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has refuted claims made in a recent New York Times (NYT) report alleging that the Indian aerospace giant supplied sensitive technology to a blacklisted Russian arms agency. Sources have slammed the report as "factually incorrect and misleading," accusing it of distorting facts to fit a political narrative.

The NYT article, published on March 28, claimed that British aerospace firm HR Smith Group sent nearly $2 million worth of transmitters, cockpit equipment, and other restricted technology to HAL, which then allegedly forwarded similar parts to Rosoboroneexport, a Russian defense agency blacklisted by the U.S. and the U.K. The report suggested HAL had shipped $14 million worth of components to Russia between 2023 and 2024.

Sources, however, insist that HAL has strictly adhered to international trade regulations, emphasizing that "India’s robust legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade continues to guide overseas commercial ventures by its companies." They urged media outlets to conduct due diligence before publishing such claims.

Meanwhile, HR Smith’s lawyer, Nick Watson, defended the sales, stating that the equipment was intended for India’s search-and-rescue operations and had no military applications. However, legal experts cited by NYT suggested that the British company might have violated sanctions by not exercising adequate oversight.