In a surprising turn in the Ukraine war, suddenly India has become the center of the spotlight. Ukrainian officials disclosed the news through their Facebook and Twitter accounts four months ago that they had discovered parts made in India inside drones used by Russian forces. These drones, known as Shahed 136, were originally built in Iran, but inside, they found things like navigation chips and voltage regulators that were either made or put together in India.
Ukraine has raised concerns twice in the last year related to the Indian parts found in the drone, and the issue was also flagged during the visit of David O’Sullivan to New Delhi in July, during the EU sanctions. Followed by which, the Trump government’s 25% tariff on India showed a bigger concern.
India says it follows strict laws when exporting such dual-use parts, which can be used in both civilian and military equipment. The Ministry of External Affairs said India carefully checks to prevent illegal use.
Aura Semiconductor, a Bengaluru-based company whose parts were found, said it is very difficult to track who uses its plug-and-play products once sold. They expressed their concern about the misuse of their parts.
The problem comes from global supply chains. Parts legally sent from India may reach conflict areas after passing through other countries in West Asia. To prevent misuse, Indian security agencies have started alerting manufacturers in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai about export rules and risks.
Andriy Yermak, a senior Ukrainian representative, has requested the world to prevent the supply of these components to Russia. He added that this would save many lives in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the US has declared a major step. President Donald Trump has imposed a twenty-five percent tax on most Indian products starting in August 2025. This implies that the Indian products will be made to be more costly in the US and particularly the electronics. It can be a great loss to Indian firms that manufacture these components.
The reason for this tax is India’s ever-growing trade with Russia, for instance, buying oil from Russia. The increased tax may lower Indian exports and increase the product prices.
Taking the case of Apple, which manufactures a huge number of iPhones in India to export to the US. It might cost more with these new tariffs. This can become a barrier to the development of India as an international manufacturing center. It also brings about the issue of the loss of jobs and decreased exports, which would negatively impact the businesses and the employees in India.
This case demonstrates the close relationship that exists between global trade, global politics, and technology. India not only needs to tighten its export controls, but it also needs to regulate trade in order to keep its economy secure and out of conflicts. Such measures are required to facilitate peace and economic development.
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