India's Tata complicit in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians: report

ISLAMABAD:  India’s largest conglomerate, Tata, is complicit in ‘providing the hardware of genocide, the machinery of daily oppression, and the digital backbone of apartheid’ in Gaza, according to a new report released by SALAM, a New York City-based South Asian political organization.

The report states, “Tata’s emergence as a cornerstone of Indian capitalism is deeply entangled with colonial power and imperial war economies.”

“Through its subsidiary, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), it is a core global provider of wings for all new F-16 fighter jets and fuselages for all AH-64 Apache attack helicopters—the primary aircraft used by the Israeli Air Force to bombard Gaza,” the extensively referenced report says.

Critical command systems   

“Through its partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), TASL manufactures the critical command systems for the Barak-8 missile, a weapon actively deployed by the Israeli Navy,” the report highlights.

The report says, “Tata Motors, via its subsidiary, Jaguar Land Rover, supplies the foundational chassis for the MDT David light armored vehicle, a ubiquitous tool of the Israeli military used for patrols, raids, and the violent suppression of protests in the occupied West Bank.”

Reputation laundering and sports washing 

To shield these operations, the report says, “the Tata Group has meticulously cultivated a global image of corporate benevolence, leveraging its philanthropic trusts and a significant US presence.”

“This strategy of reputation laundering culminates in its title sponsorship of the New York City Marathon, a textbook case of sportswashing designed to mask its role in profiting from genocide.”

Tata-Lockheed Martin joint venture 

According to the report, “the joint venture Tata-Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL) is a core global provider of wings for all new Fighting Falcon fighter jets. The F-16 is a supersonic, multirole tactical fighter that has been the workhorse and backbone of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) for over four decades.”

“The aircraft has been central to nearly every major Israeli military operation since the 1980s. IAF F-16s have played a major role in Israel’s ongoing genocide115 in Gaza, carrying out thousands of airstrikes,” it adds.

India’s complicity in genocide in Gaza 

“During the ongoing genocide in Gaza, India’s complicity has become overt,” says the report.

“The government has abstained on UN resolutions calling for a truce and an arms embargo, while Indian corporations have reportedly exported Hermes 900 drones back to Israel, a fact made clear in May 2024 when a ship from Chennai carrying 27 tons of munitions for the Israeli military was blocked in Spain (these drones are partially manufactured in India to lower costs, through joint ventures with Israeli firms),” the report highlights.

Moreover, according to the report, “the Indian state has sent thousands of migrant workers to replace Palestinian labor.”

“During the genocide in Gaza, the Indian government has sent over 20,000 migrant workers to Israel to replace the Palestinian labor force whose work permits were canceled,” according to the report.

Diaspora lobbyist groups

The report points out: “This alliance is further supported by diaspora lobbyist groups in the US, like the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), which emulate Zionist organizations such as AIPAC to build political support.”

“Under the current right-wing government of Narendra Modi, this longstanding affinity has materialized into a strategic state partnership,” it adds.

‘Israel model’ 

This is most evident in India’s colonial occupation of Kashmir, where the “Israel model” is being explicitly replicated through new land laws that facilitate settlement by mainland Indians in “Israeli-like” guarded, Hindu-only enclaves.

India and Israel -- explicit parallels  

The explicit parallels between the two states were made brutally clear after the Pahalgam incident in April 2025, the report says.

It further points out: “Framing the attacks as “India’s October 7th,” prominent Indian figures made public calls for an “Israel like” response against Kashmiris, urging the state to replicate Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.”

Highlighting the alliance between Israel and India, the report states: “When the Indian military later launched “Operation Sindoor” against Pakistani civilian targets using Israeli weapons, the Israeli government was the first and only foreign government to enthusiastically express its support.”

Shared ideology of ethno-racial supremacy 

“This shared rhetoric and mutual affirmation of violence demonstrates that the material relationship rests on a deep, shared ideology of violent anti-Muslim racism, ethno-racial supremacy and settler-colonial entitlement to land,” the report underlines.