Hyderabad: A protest was held at a Reliance Smart outlet in Tarnaka on Friday, June 20, by the Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP) as a part of their Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, calling for a boycott of the Reliance retail company for their links with Israel.
IPSP is holding protests across the country, including Reliance retail stores in Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Patna, Visakhapatnam, Chandigarh, Rohtak, Vijayawada and other cities.
Speakers at the protests addressed people outside the stores and highlighted Reliance’s role in perpetuating the massacre in Palestine, calling for a complete boycott of the Reliance group of companies, and distributing pamphlets inside the store.
The campaigners stressed on boycotting all brands that strengthen Israel and called for intensifying actions which pressure the Indian government to sever all ties with Israel.
Reliance’s links with Israel
In 2014, Reliance Jio placed a bulk order with Israeli company Airspan Networks for telecom equipment and also acquired an equity stake in the firm, directly investing in Israel’s telecommunications industry. In 2017, Reliance invested USD 25 million in the Jerusalem Innovation Incubator (JII), which is backed by the Israeli government and supports startups in cutting-edge fields like AI, cybersecurity, and fintech sectors that are integral to Israel’s tech and defence industries.
Through its Jio GenNext initiative, Reliance has also contributed to the development of over 100 Israeli startups, further fuelling Israel’s high-tech ecosystem. Most recently, in 2024, Reliance Retail entered into a joint venture with Israeli company Delta Galil, helping expand Israel’s footprint in the Indian apparel market.
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