A shadow war over India’s defence procurement on social media raises concerns of undue influencet
A shadow war over India’s defence procurement on social media raises concerns of undue influence. A growing wave of orchestrated social media campaigns both supporting and opposing military procurement by India’s defence establishment has sparked concern among officials. According to sources within the defence and security apparatus, these campaigns are not limited to vested corporate interests. In some cases, they appear to be influenced or even directly driven by foreign governments seeking to sway India’s procurement decisions. Officials say that the disinformation efforts aim to create confusion & doubt often causing decision makers to proceed with undue caution. This can lead to significant delays in issuing tenders or making procurement decisions. Several defence centric websites and social media accounts have been flagged for consistently publishing misleading or outright false stories. Many of these platforms offer no transparency, lacking ownership details or contact information. One such website has come under particular scrutiny for spreading fake news that has alarmed not only Indian but also foreign defence firms. The website has been accused of falsely attributing misinformation, possibly as part of a broader foreign influence campaign. “They appear to be pushing a sustained narrative aligned with hostile interests,” a senior official said. A recent example involved a fabricated story suggesting the Indian Air Force (IAF) was advocating for the US-made F-35 fifth-generation fighter over Russia’s Su-57. “There is no official US proposal for the F-35, so the IAF could not have recommended it,” a source clarified.
