Hyderabad-based Tec Aero Devices and its chief executive officer, M Sivarama Prasad, have been booked by Karnataka Police for allegedly attempting to cheat Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in connection with supplies for the TEJAS program.
The case was registered on 2 June at the HAL Police Station in Bangalore under Sections 420, 465 and 468 of the Indian Penal Code, following a complaint filed by Ranu Gupta, Deputy General Manager of HAL’s Aircraft Division.
According to the complaint, Tec Aero Devices, located in Shakthipuram, Prashanthi Nagar, Kukatpally, Hyderabad, was issued 18 purchase orders beginning 28 March 2022 for the supply of parts related to the 83 TEJAS MK-1A project.
After submitting samples, test reports and other required documentation, the company obtained approval certificates from HAL for the manufacture of 172 items across 35 categories. Under the terms of the purchase orders, the supplier was required to furnish original test reports for bulk supplies. Tec Aero Devices subsequently submitted 199 test reports.
HAL later discovered that none of the reports were authentic. The company alleged that Tec Aero Devices had forged all 199 reports, misusing the name and signatures of Hyderabad-based Axis Inspection Solutions.
HAL’s Quality Control Department had sought original certifications for tensile, hardness, brake load, shear, non-destructive testing, microstructure and salt spray tests, among others.
Despite repeated requests, Tec Aero Devices failed to produce the original documents. Representatives of the company visited HAL on 22 November 2023 and submitted a letter of apology, admitting to having submitted two incorrect reports in the name of Axis Inspection Solutions.
HAL subsequently conducted an audit at Axis Inspection Solutions on 29 November 2023. The audit revealed that none of the 199 reports had been issued by the company and that every single report appeared to be forged. In a letter dated the same day, Axis Inspection Solutions confirmed that its name and signatures had been deliberately misused. HAL noted that no financial payments had been made to Tec Aero Devices up to that point.
Following these findings, HAL issued a show-cause notice to the supplier. In response, Tec Aero Devices submitted a letter dated 20 December 2023 requesting that its mistake be excused. HAL later held a series of internal meetings and eventually decided to initiate criminal proceedings against the company.
The complaint stated that these internal processes accounted for the delay in lodging the police complaint.
HAL has since debarred Tec Aero Devices from doing business with the organisation for three years, until 10 March 2027. Around the same time, in January 2024, the company rebranded itself as TAD Aerospace Fasteners Private Limited, registering the new name with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Neither the company nor its CEO responded to queries from South First regarding the allegations.
This case highlights the seriousness with which HAL is addressing quality control and supplier accountability in the TEJAS MK-1A program, particularly at a time when delays in aircraft deliveries have already drawn scrutiny from the Ministry of Defence.
The incident underscores the importance of stringent verification processes in India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem, where lapses could have direct implications for national security and operational readiness.
Agencies
