BENGALURU, — June 15, 2026 : Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has filed a criminal complaint against Hyderabad-based aerospace components supplier Tec Aero Devices for allegedly submitting 199 forged test certificates for parts supplied to the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A programme.
According to a First Information Report (FIR) filed by Ranu Gupta, Deputy General Manager of HAL’s Aircraft Division, HAL issued 18 purchase orders to Tec Aero Devices between March 2022 and September 2023. The orders covered 35 categories comprising 172 mechanical components required for the Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft.
Under HAL’s procurement procedures, suppliers must submit certified laboratory test reports to verify that components meet specified quality standards. The certificates submitted by Tec Aero Devices covered tests including tensile strength, hardness, break load, shear strength, non-destructive testing (NDT), microstructure analysis, and salt spray resistance.
Audit Revealed Forged Documents
The issue surfaced during routine quality verification by HAL’s Quality Control Department, which requested the original test reports. According to the complaint, Tec Aero Devices failed to produce the original records and later stated that the reports had been issued by Hyderabad-based testing agency Axis Inspection Solutions.
HAL subsequently conducted an audit at Axis Inspection Solutions on November 29, 2023. During the audit, the testing agency confirmed that it had not issued any of the 199 reports submitted by Tec Aero Devices between February and September 2023.
Axis Inspection Solutions also provided a written statement stating that its name and authorized signatures had been misused to create the certificates. HAL’s internal review concluded that all 199 reports were fabricated.
HAL Blacklists Supplier
Following the findings, HAL rejected a request from the supplier to condone the lapse and removed Tec Aero Devices from its approved vendor list.
The company has been blacklisted from doing business with HAL for three years, until March 10, 2027. HAL has also withheld all pending payments related to the disputed supplies.
Police Investigation Underway
The FIR was registered on June 2, 2026, at the HAL Police Station in Bengaluru. The complaint names M. Sivarama Prasad, CEO of Tec Aero Devices, and invokes Sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.
Bengaluru Police have sent a team to the company's registered address in Shaktipuri, Hyderabad, to verify the location and trace its representatives. Investigators are expected to examine purchase orders, audit findings, correspondence, and the alleged forged certificates.
No Fake Parts Installed in Aircraft
Authorities have clarified that the investigation concerns forged test certificates and not counterfeit aircraft components.
A senior police officer associated with the case stated that only the documentation was found to be fake and that there is no evidence that counterfeit or substandard parts were installed in any aircraft.
The Tejas Mk1A is a key component of India's indigenous fighter aircraft programme and a major part of the country's Atmanirbhar Bharat defence manufacturing initiative. HAL officials have stated that the company maintains strict quality control standards and a zero-tolerance approach toward violations of procurement and certification requirements.
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