HAL Books Hyderabad Firm Over Alleged Submission of 199 Forged Test Reports

A major compliance breach has surfaced in India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem after Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) registered a criminal case against Hyderabad based TEC Aero Devices for allegedly submitting 199 forged test reports linked to supplies made for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A programme .

The case was registered on June 2 at the HAL Police Station following a complaint filed by Ranu Gupta, Deputy General Manager, Aircraft Division, HAL . The FIR names M Sivarama Prasad, CEO of TEC Aero Devices , and invokes provisions related to cheating and forgery.

According to the complaint, HAL had issued 18 purchase orders to TEC Aero Devices beginning in March 2022 for the supply of multiple components intended for the LCA Mk 1A fighter aircraft programme . The company had reportedly secured manufacturing approvals across 35 categories of parts after submitting sample materials, testing records and supporting certification documents.

As production moved into bulk supply stages, HAL sought original quality validation reports covering critical parameters including tensile strength, hardness, break load, shear testing, non destructive testing (NDT), microstructure analysis and salt spray testing .

However, HAL alleged that the company failed to furnish the original records.

The complaint further stated that representatives of TEC Aero Devices submitted an apology letter to HAL on November 22, 2023 , acknowledging that two incorrect reports had earlier been submitted under the name of Axis Inspection Solutions , a Hyderabad based testing agency.

Following the disclosure, HAL carried out an audit at the inspection agency on November 29, 2023 to verify the authenticity of documents submitted by the supplier. The audit allegedly concluded that none of the 199 reports submitted between February and September 2023 had been issued by Axis Inspection Solutions .

According to the FIR, the inspection agency informed HAL that its name and authorised signatures had been misused to prepare and submit fabricated documents.

HAL subsequently debarred TEC Aero Devices for three years until March 10, 2027 , removed the company from its approved supplier network and clarified that no payments had been released to the firm.

The complaint also noted that internal deliberations and procedural reviews preceded the filing of criminal proceedings, contributing to the delay in lodging the FIR.

The development has drawn attention because the Tejas Mk 1A programme remains one of India’s most significant indigenous defence aviation projects. Designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by HAL , the fighter aircraft is intended to gradually replace the ageing MiG 21 fleet of the Indian Air Force.

Authorities have not indicated any impact on aircraft operations or programme timelines. There was no immediate response from TEC Aero Devices at the time of publication.