Activists Demand Tata Entity Should Be Dropped as Title Sponsor Of New York City Marathon
A campaign called “Tata Bye Bye” has been launched in New York City, demanding the removal of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as the lead sponsor of the New York City Marathon. The organisers, South Asian Left (Salam), accuse Tata Group of supporting Israel’s military operations and occupation of Palestine.
The TCS New York City Marathon 2024 scheduled for November 24, hosted by the New York Road Runners (NYRR), is regarded as the world’s largest marathon, drawing over 51,000 participants in 2023. Activists argue that Tata’s involvement in the event promotes a company allegedly complicit in Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Salam claims that Tata, through subsidiaries, provides IT services and cloud infrastructure to the Israeli government and military. This includes Project Nimbus, which has also drawn criticism from Amazon and Google employees over its role in aiding Israel’s military surveillance. “TCS directly enhances Israel’s ability to control and repress Palestinians,” said Aman, an organiser with Salam, urging NYRR to sever ties with Tata.
The campaign highlights Tata’s history of military collaboration with Israel. In 2008, Tata partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries to co-manufacture defence products. Since normalising ties with Israel in 1992, India has become one of the largest buyers of Israeli military technology, with bilateral cooperation continuing to grow.
The organisers emphasise that Tata’s investments extend beyond defence, embedding the company within Israel’s broader economy. Salam hopes the campaign will push corporations to divest from military occupations.
The launch of “Tata Bye Bye” comes amid global protests over the Gaza conflict. Consumer boycotts have targeted other brands, such as McDonald’s and Starbucks, accused of supporting Israeli military actions.
Activists stress the urgency of corporate accountability as Israel’s airstrikes on northern Gaza intensify, with mounting casualties and humanitarian crises. The campaign seeks to amplify the call for solidarity with Palestinians by pressuring TCS and NYRR to part ways.
