An Indian businessman named Sanjay Kaushik has been sentenced to more than two years in prison in the United States. Kaushik has been accused of illegally exporting restricted aviation components to Russia., Hindustan Times reported.
The US Department of Justice, in an official statement, has informed that the New Delhi-based business executive will be spending 30 months in federal prison.
Who is Sanjay Kaushik?
Sanjay Kaushik, 58, is a managing partner of Arezo Aviation. He was arrested by US authorities on October 17, 2024, in Florida, and remained in custody since. Kaushik pled guilty in October 2025, on charges of exporting aviation parts to Russia, which had both civilian and military applications.
US officials have informed that Sanjay Kaushik and his associates were purchasing aircraft components from an Oregon-based supplier since September 2023, on the pretext that the parts would be used by his India-based airline firm. US investigators have revealed that India was merely used as a transit point by Kaushik, and the components ultimately landed in Russia, Hindustan Times reported.
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Prosecutors said the end user was falsely shown as a civilian helicopter run by Kaushik's firm. This, they said, was done to get around US export rules.
At the center of the case is an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS). It is a sensitive navigation and flight-control device. Such equipment needs special approval from the US Department of Commerce before it can be sent to restricted countries like Russia.
What has the DOJ informed?
An official statement from the US Department of Justice said, "Kaushik and his co-conspirators purchased an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), which is a device that provides navigation and flight control data for aircraft, from an Oregon-based supplier. Components such as the AHRS require a license from the Department of Commerce to be exported to certain countries, including Russia."
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The statement added, "To obtain an export license for the AHRS, Kaushik and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that Kaushik's Indian company was the end purchaser and that the component would be used in a civilian helicopter."
The export was blocked by Federal authorities. The AHRS was detained inside the US. Since his arrest, Sanjay Kaushik has not sought release. His guilty plea led to his 30-month sentence, but originally, Kaushik had faced the possibility of landing up in jail for 20 years and a $1 million fine or more for each charge.
