A group of activists has launched a campaign urging the withdrawal of Tata Group as the lead sponsor of the New York City Marathon, claiming the conglomerate is complicit in Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.
The campaign, named “Tata Bye Bye,” was initiated by the South Asian Left (Salam) in response to Indian company’s role in the Gaza genocide.
The TCS New York City Marathon, organised by the New York Road Runners (NYRR), is regarded as the largest marathon globally, with over 51,000 participants in 2023. The activists accuse Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a Tata Group subsidiary, of playing “a critical role in enabling Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.” They allege that Tata maintains various business ties with the Israeli government, including manufacturing weapons and providing IT services to the Israeli military.
Aman, an organizer with Salam, emphasised the need for Tata to disclose its connections with Israel and urged NYRR to sever ties with TCS, saying, “We are demanding Tata disclose all its connections with the Zionist entity and divest from them. We are demanding the NYRR to drop TCS,” Aman, an organiser with Salam, told Middle East Eye. “Tata partners with Israeli defence firms, directly enhancing Israel’s military capabilities.”
The campaign highlights Tata’s investments in Israel’s tech and financial sectors, particularly its support for start-ups with potential defense applications.
The decision to focus on Tata in New York City stems from its significant visibility in the U.S. and its economic influence, employing nearly 50,000 people across multiple sectors. Aman noted Tata’s involvement in defense projects with Israeli contractors, contributing to military operations in occupied Palestinian territories while maintaining a “benevolent image” to obscure its actions.
As per the report, TCS has been involved in various digital projects in Israel, including Project Nimbus, which provides cloud services to the Israeli government and military. This project has sparked protests among Amazon and Google employees who demand their companies withdraw from contracts linked to the Israeli military. Salam said, “These services are essential to Israel’s military operations and its broader system of digital control, which enables the surveillance and repression of Palestinian civilians. TCS has formed deep partnerships with Israeli banks and ministries, embedding itself within Israel’s apartheid economy.”
The Tata Group’s ties to the military date back to at least 2008, when it partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to produce defense products. Since normalizing relations with Israel in 1992, India has become a major consumer of Israeli technology, particularly in defense. Over the past decade, Indian-Israeli military cooperation has surged, with Indian firms acquiring a significant portion of Israeli weapons and co-manufacturing them domestically.
Salam claims that the Tata Group supplies not only electronics and weapon components but also Land Rovers converted into armored vehicles for operations in Palestinian territories. The organisers stress that as Indian companies’ complicity in the occupation grows, activists in the U.S. have a responsibility to raise awareness and take action against these entities.
The launch event for “Tata Bye Bye” drew over 50 attendees in Manhattan. Rafael from the Palestinian Youth Movement highlighted its potential to “heighten consciousness across communities” and foster international solidarity from Kashmir to Palestine. The campaign builds on previous efforts by Indian civil society to pressure the government to halt arms exports to Israel amid the Gaza genocide.
The campaign’s launch coincided with the death of Ratan Naval Tata, who was instrumental in the Tata Group’s global expansion. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid tribute to him, noting, “Many in Israel mourn the loss of Ratan Naval Tata, a proud son of India and a champion of the friendship between our two countries.”
Despite its polished reputation, scholars have pointed out that much of the Tata Group’s wealth originated from the opium trade in the late 19th century, and the conglomerate has faced accusations of land theft and corporate misconduct in India. The organisers aim to highlight the collaboration between Indian and Israeli companies in the current conflict and the rising authoritarianism in India and Kashmir. Kulsoom, an activist with Salam, said, “Tata is a true testament to the power of Indian capitalism. This campaign is to bring people into the movement.”
TCS was one of the first Indian IT firms to establish operations in Israel, launching in 2005, and appointed Chen Kamer, a former commander in an elite Israeli special forces unit, to lead its operations in Israel in 2022.
