Washington, DC: A new investigative report by US-based South Asian activists has accused the Tata Group of playing a direct role in sustaining Israel’s military occupation and surveillance apparatus in Palestine.
The report, titled Architects of Occupation: The Tata Group, Indian Capital, and the India-Israel Alliance, was released in New York by the South Asian collective Salam. The study describes the Tata Group and Israel as being “fundamentally embedded” within a shared defence and digital security architecture that supports Israeli control over Palestinians.
Tata’s Role in Defence and Arms Manufacturing
According to the report, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) produces wings for all new F-16 fighter jets and fuselages for AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, both used by the Israeli Air Force in air operations over Gaza.
Through its partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), TASL also manufactures command systems for the Barak-8 missile, a weapon actively deployed by the Israeli Navy. The report states these collaborations are core to the functioning of Israel’s occupation economy.
Automotive and Armoured Vehicles for Occupied Territories
The report further notes that Tata Motors, via its subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover, supplies the foundational chassis for MDT David light armoured vehicles. These vehicles are used by Israeli security forces for patrols, raids, and crowd suppression in the occupied West Bank. Researchers claim these operations demonstrate Tata’s direct contribution to the hardware of occupation and the infrastructure of daily military control.
Digital Backbone and Cloud Surveillance
In the technological domain, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been linked to Project Nimbus, a cloud computing program jointly developed with major tech firms to support Israeli data and surveillance systems.
The Salam report alleges that Tata’s digital support forms part of the machinery of daily oppression, connecting the Tata Group and Israel through both physical and digital infrastructures of control.
Expanding India–Israel–US Defence Nexus
The study highlights a growing defence triangle between India, Israel, and the United States, arguing that Tata’s industrial output has been integrated into the global war economy. It claims that parts manufactured in India have appeared in American military operations in the Middle East.
Between October 2023 and October 2025, India was among 26 countries that exported arms to Israel, according to a UN Special Rapporteur’s report, despite allegations of war crimes in Gaza.
The Salam report also traces the India–Israel alliance from secret arms exchanges in the 1960s to a formalized partnership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. It identifies ideological parallels between Hindutva and Zionism as the foundations of their collaboration.
As of now, the Tata Group has not issued an official response to the report’s findings.
