VVIP Chopper Scam-Linked Company, Also Part Of Rafale Deal, Blacklisted

A Bengaluru-based firm which is part of the Rs 58,000-crore Rafale deal has been suspended from business dealings by the defence ministry allegedly for its role in the infamous AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal.

Defsys Solutions was added to the list of 'put on hold/suspended' firms' list yesterday. The firm is run by Sushen Gupta, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2019 for alleged money laundering in the Rs 3,546 crore deal to supply 12 VVIP helicopters to India. He was granted bail later.

French firm Dassault Aviation, the company that manufactures Rafale fighter jets, has created a joint-venture with Reliance Group. This joint-venture, Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL), was created February 10, 2017.

Dassault Aviation also partnered with Defsys Solutions. As part of the agreement, Defsys had supplied 50 replica models of Rafale to Dassault Aviation.

"Other partnerships have been signed with other companies such as BTSL, Defsys Solutions, Kinetic, Mahindra, Maini, SAMTEL,... Other negotiations are ongoing with a hundred-odd other potential partners," Dassault Aviation said on its website.

Established in 2007, Defsys Solutions claims to have capabilities to provide advanced solutions for a variety of defence and aerospace applications.

The company executes design and manufacture of "Integrated Electronic Systems, Electro-Optical Payloads, Thermal Imagers, Flight and Firing Simulators, Weapon Replicas, Electro-Mechanical systems, On-board electronic sub-systems, Automated Test Equipments (ATEs), RF & Microwave Sub-assemblies, Radar & Seeker Simulators, RF Test and Measurement systems". "The Company also provides a range of support services such as maintenance and on-site upgradation of existing military systems," according to its website.