Technology Desk

SMPP Belarus drone deal draws scrutiny over sanctioned supplier and Rs 4,000 crore IPO

The Peacekeeper (Agniveg) kamikaze drone delivered to the Indian Army by SMPP was sourced through Belspetsvneshtechnika, a Belarusian state arms enterprise designated under US sanctions. The buying subsidiary named in published contract documents is the same entity SMPP's Rs 4,000 crore IPO proposes to fund. An earlier controversy over Chinese raw materials in SMPP's bulletproof jacket contract raises questions about a pattern of post-award sourcing divergence.