Questions surrounding quality documentation and testing traceability have emerged in the supply chain of India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-1A programme after Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) filed a First Information Report (FIR) against a Hyderabad-based aerospace supplier for allegedly submitting forged test reports related to supplied components.
According to the FIR, registered at the HAL police station in Bengaluru, HAL has accused TEC Aero Devices and its CEO, M. Sivarama Prasad, of allegedly submitting 199 forged test reports associated with components supplied under the Tejas Mk-1A programme. Police have invoked provisions related to cheating and forgery.
HAL's complaint states that the supplier received 18 purchase orders from March 2022 onwards for the manufacture and supply of various components for the fighter aircraft programme. As part of the approval and quality assurance process, the company had obtained manufacturing approvals after submitting samples, test reports, and supporting technical documentation.
The issue came to light during the verification of documentation related to material and component testing. HAL sought original records covering tensile strength, hardness, break load, shear, non-destructive testing (NDT), microstructure, and salt spray testing. According to the complaint, the supplier was unable to produce the original documents when requested.
The FIR further states that representatives of TEC Aero Devices submitted an apology letter to HAL on November 22, 2023, acknowledging that two incorrect reports had been furnished in the name of Axis Inspection Solutions, a Hyderabad-based testing organization. Following this development, HAL conducted an audit at Axis Inspection Solutions on November 29, 2023, to verify the authenticity of 199 test reports submitted between February and September 2023.
According to the audit findings cited in the complaint, none of the 199 reports had been issued by Axis Inspection Solutions. HAL alleges that all 199 reports were forged, while Axis Inspection Solutions informed the company that its name and signatures had been misused in the submitted documentation.
The case has drawn attention within the inspection and quality assurance community because the disputed documentation included reports related to non-destructive testing and other critical material verification activities that form part of aerospace manufacturing quality control processes.
Following its internal review, HAL debarred TEC Aero Devices from conducting business with the company for three years, until March 10, 2027, and removed the firm from its list of approved suppliers. The complaint also notes that HAL did not make any payments to the supplier. After internal deliberations, HAL proceeded with criminal action, leading to the filing of the FIR.
At the time of reporting, there was no immediate response from TEC Aero Devices regarding the allegations.
