Hyderabad, Nov. 14 (Maxim News): A group of civil society organisations, social activists and citizens of Telangana has urged the state government to suspend its technology partnership with Israel and put on hold a T-Hub business meet scheduled for November 16.
In a joint statement, they said the government should not facilitate engagements with Israeli companies that reportedly have links to Israel’s military. The Telangana government had not responded to the statement in the material available to IndToday.
According to the statement, which cites a Siasat Daily report of November 5, T-Hub will host a delegation of 20 Israeli technology companies on November 16.
The programme is being organised with the state’s Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Department and the Israel Economic Mission to South India.
The companies work in defence technology, robotics, cybersecurity, semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
The signatories also cite a second Siasat Daily investigation, published on November 10. It reported that several of the participating companies have links to the Israeli military.
It said five of them supply hardware, software or services reportedly used by Israeli forces in Gaza or the occupied Palestinian territories. These include attack drones, military artificial intelligence, tank sensors, robotics and surveillance. IndToday has not independently verified these findings.
The statement adds that the investigation also noted the participation of the Israeli Ministry of Defence’s Directorate of Defence Research and Development in the wider programme.
Statement Links T-Hub Meet to Bharat Summit and Earlier Defence Tie-Up
The statement points to an earlier tie-up. It says Israel’s Ministry of Defence announced DRISHTI 2.0 on July 13, 2026, describing it as a joint initiative with T-Hub.
According to the statement, the ministry said the programme creates pathways for Israeli companies to enter the Indian market. It also said the ministry described defence exports as a way to strengthen the Israeli Defence Forces.
The groups also cite the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. They say it concluded on September 16, 2025 that Israeli authorities had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
They also refer to the Pegasus spyware case, which is before the Supreme Court of India.
They point to the timing. The Telangana government is hosting the second Bharat Summit on November 13 and 14. The summit is expected to bring together more than 1,000 delegates from over 70 countries to discuss democracy, peace and social and economic justice.
The signatories asked how the state can host such a summit while its institutions facilitate these engagements. They also asked the summit’s participants to raise their concerns.
The statement also notes that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have condemned Israel’s military actions and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The signatories say the state’s engagement conflicts with that position.
The groups made four demands:
Suspend the Telangana-Israel technology and business partnership. Put the November 16 T-Hub meet on hold until an independent human rights due diligence assessment of all participating companies is complete.
Align government engagements with the Bharat Summit’s stated principles. They also expect the summit to adopt a resolution opposing engagements with Israel and entities that facilitate its violations of international law.
Publicly disclose all proposed engagements with Israeli companies. These include MoUs, investment proposals, technology transfers, joint research and procurement, along with safeguards against misuse.
Set up a human rights due diligence framework for T-Hub and other government-supported institutions.
The groups said they are not opposed to international cooperation, technology development or legitimate investment. (Maxim News)
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