Operation Sindoor: Videos from Pakistani air base bring a Hyderabad-based company into limelight
On May 10, a sweltering Hyderabad experienced relief as clouds opened up and rain drops made its way to the ground. On the same day, an air force base in Jacobabad in Pakistan saw something hurling towards it from the sky resulting in an explosion and dust and smoke kicking up. The only connection that both Jacobabad and Hyderabad had that day, apart from receiving unexpected ‘guests’ from high above, was that a product crafted in HiTec city, a sophisticated IT corridor of Hyderabad in the south of India, probably landed in the rugged desert terrain of Jacobabad on the Sindh-Balochistan border of the neighbouring Pakistan— 2,000 km away.
During the ongoing operation Sindoor which was launched post Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian defence forces struck at multiple air bases in Pakistan as a firm response to alleged indiscriminate shelling and drone attack from across the border. In one of her briefings, Col Sophia Qureshi, one of the spokespersons of Operation Sindoor, mentioned, “The Indian armed forces struck Pakistan air fields—Skardu, Jacobabad, Sargodha, and Bularika and inflicted serious damage.”
A number of videos emerged from May 10 showing explosion noises and smoke billowing from Shahbaz air base in Jacobabad. A structure resembling an ATC was also seen damaged as seen in videos captured by locals and uploaded on social media platforms. The Shahbaz air base is strategically and militarily important as it houses the American-made F16 fighter jets. A brief look at the satellite images from 2022 to 2025 confirms the presence of not just Pakistan Air Force’s transport planes but also of F-16 and choppers near the damaged site. Past satellite images also show the presence of what looks like Augusta Westlands Leonardo helicopters. According to various news reports which cited past and present satellite images, Indian armed force’s action caused heavy damage to a hangar and partial damage to an ATC.
A few videos allegedly showed the debris of the Indian aerial vehicles used in the attack. One of the components held by a local showed the manufacturers details. It was mentioned that it was manufactured by Ananth Technologies and the address was etched as Hyderabad, India along with the official company email and the pincode, 500081, which matches with the headquarters of the company in Madhapur area of Hyderabad.
Founded in 1992, Ananth technologies have worked closely with Indian Defence and ISRO providing subsystems and critical components for Indian aerospace projects and missile programmes. Details regarding the component found in Jacobabad remain unclear. The video quickly gained popularity among Hyderabadis who were surprised and filled with pride with the company, quietly existing in their backyard but playing a pivotal role in national security.
India