Concerns Mount Over Aqila Technologies and Integration Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and Its Dealings with the Indian Air Force
New Delhi : Serious allegations have emerged against Aqila Technologies and Integration Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a defense contractor that secured a high-value contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for anti-jamming systems on Jaguar aircraft. The company, reportedly controlled and operated by a group of ex-defense personnel and associates, is now under scrutiny for suspected procedural violations, unethical practices, and possible breaches of national security norms.
Aqila Technologies is reportedly controlled by the Air Commodore Ajay Rathore (Retd.) – Took pre-mature retirement and his wife – Sonali Rathore, and others known proxies of Sumant Kapur- Rajat Kapoor, Sudhir Verma – CEO, Brigadier Vishwa Mohan Kumar (Retd.) – Vice President, Group Captain G.D. Srivastava (Retd.) – GGM Technology.
According to sources Aqila Technologies was awarded a contract to supply Anti-Jamming Receivers with Digital Antenna Arrays for Jaguar aircraft of the IAF. The contract, considered sensitive, is now under question due to the circumstances under which it was secured.
Reports indicate that pre-contract equipment trials were conducted using systems hand-carried into India from NTLAB (Belarus) by Air Commodore Ajay Rathore, bypassing legal import channels. No Bill of Entry was filed, and no authorized import mechanism—like courier, freight, or air cargo—was used.
Sources allege Rathore used high-level intelligence connections, including a then-senior official in RAW/IB, to ensure smooth customs clearance via special protocol communication at Delhi Airport.
Concerns have been raised over the origin and authenticity of electronic components. Several components allegedly contained Chinese-made chips, misrepresented as Belarusian-origin, through falsified Certificates of Origin from NTLAB.
Aqila Technologies is suspected of being a front for entities linked to known arms dealer Sumant Kapur. While serving, Rathore made multiple visits to the United States for official inspections (e.g., Apache helicopters). In another instance, he accompanied Kapur to the U.S. in relation to a flight refuelling aircraft lease deal, allegedly lobbying to promote the acquisition.
Insiders claim the company leveraged personal and professional relationships with serving and retired IAF officers—including those of Sudhir Verma and Ajay Rathore—to bypass standard procurement channels.
Rathore retired voluntarily on 31 October 2018, shortly after being moved from Delhi following internal intelligence reports linking him to Kapur. Just 11 days later, on 11 November 2018, Rathore joined Kapur in Dubai and helped establish ASSUS Project Management, allegedly without adhering to the mandatory cooling-off period for defense personnel. Company formation documents and Emirates ID records confirm Rathore’s post-retirement association, raising serious ethical and national security concerns.