Reliance Submits Documents in Drone Import Bribery Probe; Executive Granted Bail
India’s largest listed company, Reliance Industries, has submitted documents sought by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with an ongoing probe into an alleged drone import bribery case, according to a court order issued in New Delhi on Monday night. The order did not detail the nature of the documents requested. The investigation centers on allegations involving a senior executive linked to the company’s subsidiary operations.
The CBI last month arrested Bharat Mathur, a senior vice president associated with Reliance, along with an official from India’s aviation regulator. Authorities allege the two agreed to accept a $16,000 bribe to facilitate approvals for drone imports tied to Asteria Aerospace, a unit of Reliance. While the court has granted bail to Mathur on a personal bond of ₹100,000, both he and the detained government official have denied any wrongdoing. Reliance has maintained that Mathur acted as a consultant and that the company had no knowledge of any unauthorized transactions.
The developments come at a crucial time as Jio Platforms, which owns Asteria Aerospace, prepares to seek regulatory approvals for a potential Mumbai listing expected to be India’s largest-ever stock offering. Founded in 2011 and acquired by Reliance in 2019, Asteria Aerospace specializes in drone-based data intelligence services across sectors such as agriculture, construction, telecom, and energy. Investigators have also questioned the company’s co-founders as part of the ongoing probe.
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