Dear PM Modi,
As promised, here is today’s set of three questions for you, the tenth in the HAHK (Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun) series.
These relate to your use of national security policy, specifically our longstanding defence relationship with Israel, to enrich your corporate cronies.
Your close friend Gautam Adani is known to have accompanied you on a number of your foreign trips. Since your 4-6 July 2017 visit to Israel, you have given him a powerfully lucrative role in the India-Israel defence relationship. With your blessings, he has set up ventures with Israeli firms covering areas as varied as drones, electronics, small arms and aircraft maintenance. Given that the Adani Group has faced credible allegations regarding offshore shell companies for some years, is it in the national interest to hand over such a critical defence relationship to one questionable conglomerate? Is there a quid pro quo for you and the ruling party?
India has long had a number of startups and established firms that develop, manufacture and operate drones for civil and military applications. This includes public sector firms like Hindustan Aeronautics and Bharat Dynamics. Yet Elbit was made to set up a joint venture to manufacture drones with the Adani Group that had no prior experience in this strategically important sector. In December 2018, the venture set up a factory to build Hermes 900 drones and also took over the Bengaluru-based startup Alpha Design. On 1 September 2021 this acquisition began paying off after Alpha received an order for 100 attack drones from the Indian Army. Why is the government taking advantage of our armed forces’ emergency requirements and facilitating an Adani drone monopoly at the expense of startups as well as established Indian firms?
As with drones, India has long had a number of startups and ordnance factories that develop and manufacture small arms for the civilian and military markets. Yet in September 2020 Adani bought a majority stake in the Gwalior-based PLR systems that manufactures a wide range of small arms in collaboration with Israel Weapon Industries (IWI). IWI weapons like the Tavor assault rifle, Galil sniper rifle and Negev light machine gun are already in service with the Indian Army, and this acquisition by Adani simply hands over a longstanding defence relationship to your friend. Are the interests of our soldiers secondary to your financial needs?
