Air Vice Marshal Amolak Singh Rikhy (2024) was commissioned in the Engineering Branch of the Indian Air Force in 1943. During his service, he has held many important field and staff appointments with distinction.

Since 1954 he has served almost continuously on deputation with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., first as General Manager of the Kanpur Division, then briefly as Managing Director of the Nasik, Hyderabad and Koraput Divisions, and from early 1969, as Managing Director of the Bangalore Division.

When Air Vice Marshal Rikhy first joined HAL, the Kanpur Division was in a state of flux as a consequence of its transfer from the Air Force to Company management. AVM Rikhy dealt with its many administrative and technical problems with patience, perseverance and deep understanding. Working conditions and technical practices were greatly improved and there was a four fold increase in production.

The Bangalore Division of HAL has now been under AVM Rikhy's care fro nearly three years. This is the oldest and largest Division of HAL, manufacturing six types of aircraft and three types of engines. Here again, during the period of his stewardship. AVM Rikhy has greatly strengthened the administration and working of aircraft and engine factories.

Wherever he has served, both in the Air Force and in HAL; AVM Rikhy has won the confidence of his colleagues and workers. His high professional knowledge and outstanding ability as an Engineer and a Manager have contributed much to the efficiency of the Air Force and the aircraft industry. He has rendered exceptional service of the most exceptional order.

Air Commodore Chandersekhar Rao Kurpad served in the Technical Signals Branch of the Indian Air Force for 25 years, from 1943 to 1968. During this period he held many staff and field appointments concerned with the training of technical personnel and maintenance of electrical and electronic equipment.

In 1965, Air Commodore Kurpad was deputed to Bharat Electronics Ltd., where he was appointed Project Manager with responsibility of progressing the manufacture and supply of vital equipment for the Air Force. In 1964, he was selected to head the planning unit for the electronics factory that was to be set up as part of the MiG-21 project. He was subsequently appointed General Manager of the factory, which became the Hyderabad Division of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. He served in that capacity on deputation from the Indian Air Force. In 1969 he was appointed Managing Director of the MiG Complex, made up by the Nasik and Koraput Divisions along with Hyderabad Division . That same year, Air Commodore Kurpad was permitted to retire from the Air Force and take up permanent service with HAL.

Throughout his service in the Air Force and on deputation to BEL and HAL, Air Com modore Kurpad has consistently displayed a very high level of professional and managerial ability. He worked quietly, with patience and perseverance, to set up the Air Force's school for electrical and electronic trades. In HAL, his performance as General Manager of the Hyderabad Division and later as Managing Director of the MiG Complex has been outstanding and has contributed a great deal to the success of the MiG project.

Air Commodore Chandersekhar Rao Kurpad has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.

Air Commodore Mohan Bhaskaran joined the Indian Air Force as a technician in January, 1936. In recognition of his abilities, he was commissioned into the Technical Engineering Branch in December, 1943. he retired from the IAF in 1958, when he accepted permanent service with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

Air Commodore Bhaskaran has had an outstanding career as an Engineer. During World War II he served as an Engineering Officer with an operational squadron in the North-West Frontier Province and in Burma. The technical knowledge, drive and organizing ability that he brought to his task enabled the squadron to maintain the highest serviceability for its type of aircraft tin the theaters where it operated.

After independence, he spent many years in senior engineering appointments at major Air Force flying bases and Repair Depots. During this period, he made very significant contributions to improving the maintenance organisation of the Air Force.

In 1963 Air Commodore Bhaskaran was placed in-charge of a project team for the setting up of an airframe factory for the manufacture of the MiG-21 aircraft in India. In the following years, he was appointed General Manager of the Factory, which became the Nasik Division of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. He continues to be in that appointment to this day.

Manufacture of sophisticated aircraft such as the MiG-21 calls for technical and managerial ability of the highest order. Air Commodore Bhaskaran has displayed these qualities in ample measure. Construction of the airframe factory began in 1964, and the first aircraft was delivered from it two years later, in 1966. In the intervening period, Air Commodore Bhaskaran trained his workmen, erected the manufacturing plant and initiated the assembly and testing of aircraft more or less simultaneously. Thereafter, he has consistently fulfilled the manufacture programme despite many difficulties inherent in a sophisticated project of this type. Credit for this is due to Air Commodore Bhaskaran's untiring efforts and unremitting zeal.

Air Commodore Bhaskaran has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.

Group Captain Prabhu Datt Chopra was commissioned in the Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) Branch of the Indian Air Force in September, 1947. He has been the General Manager of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Kanpur Division, since December 1967. Prior to that date he had served with distinction in various units of the Air Force and also in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited as Factory Manager of the Kanpur Division. When it was decided to manufacture Gnat and subsequently the HS-748 aircraft in the country, he was selected as the technical representative on the Project Team in the United Kingdom. It is to his credit that the manufacture of these two aircraft and the buildup of the Kanpur factory, allied facilities and the smooth transfer of technology was accomplished. During his stewardship, the Kanpur factory has grown from strength to strength. His main contributions have been increased indigenous content and manufacture of hundreds of components from raw materials. He has also brought about a marked improvement in the workers' productivity largely by improved technology and by his personal guidance. He enjoys the confidence of his colleagues and workers. He is one of the outstanding executives of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, possessing qualities, as a manager and technologist, which are worth emulation. By his devotion to duty and personal qualities, he has enriched the profession and helped build the Air Force and Civil Aviation. He has made a signal contribution to the aircraft industry and the Air Force.

Squadron Leader Pradeep Kumar Tayal has been engaged in test flying duties at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited since October, 1977. On the 21st April, 1983, he was faced with hydraulic failure in Ajeet aircraft, which prevented his nose undercarriage from lowering. During his attempts to lower the undercarriage, his engine also got switched off. He displayed great courage and skill in handling this emergency and was able to restart the engine successfully and lower the undercarriage after considerable struggle. This resulted in a safe landing and saving of an aircraft.

Squadron Leader Pradeep Kumar Tayal thus displayed exceptional courage, coolness and presence of mind, expert professionalism and devotion to duty of a high order.

Squadron Leader Suresh Haribhav Apte has been engaged in test flying duties at HAL Bangalore complex since November, 1976. On the 18th May, 1984, Sqn Ldr Apte experienced an engine failure on his HPT-32 prototype aircraft due to fuel supply problems. He was at a height of 1000 feet which was barely sufficient to make a forced landing at the airfield. However, with great skill and cool courage he made a 90 degree turn at 50 ft. altitude and made a perfect landing on the runway.

Squadron Leader Suresh Haribhav Apte thus displayed undaunted courage, determination and devotion to duty of a high order.

Wing Commander Pirthi Singh was commissioned as a Pilot in the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force in April, 1953. He has been on deputation to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bangalore Division since 7th December, 1970 as a test pilot. During this tenure, he has done 669 hours of test flying consisting of prototype and production testing. He has been actively associated with development work on the HF-24 Trainer, Kiran aircraft and larger external fuel tank tests on the Gnat aircraft. He has displayed a high degree of skill and intelligence during the conduct of this very exacting and difficult task. He has also been associated with prototype trials of Boosters for an operational type of aircraft and he successfully carried out the first flight with this device.

Throughout, Wing Commander Pirthi Singh has displayed courage, professional skill and exceptional devotion to duty.

Wing Commander Padmanabha Ashoka was commissioned as a Pilot in the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force in January 1954. His services were loaned to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in August, 1968. As the Chief Test Pilot of Kanpur Division of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, he carried out all test flying connected with the HS-748 freighter aircraft right from the clearance of prototype to the completion of freighter trials. This involved 40 sorties averaging at 35 to 40 minutes duration each besides 5 hours of initial clearance flying. Without any past flying experience in paratrooping or supply dropping missions, he carried out flying with an extremely high standard of accuracy and completed the task ahead of schedule. During the trials, he also developed flying technique for paratrooping and supply dropping which produced excellent results. He carried out the proto type testing with doors open on both sides for the first time on HS-748 aircraft. Automatic aerial delivery system required flying the aircraft at a nose up altitude for automatic ejection of loads. He carefully analysed the flying requirement and developed a flying technique which produced excellent results in supply dropping exercises.

Throughout, Wing Commander Padmanabha Ashoka displayed courage, professional skill and exceptional devotion to duty.

Wing Commander Brijesh Dhar Jayal was commissioned as a Pilot in the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force in October, 1955. He has been on deputation to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Nasik Division, from the 15th January, 1969 to the 19th April, 1972 and to Bangalore Division from the 20th April, 1972 onwards. Throughout his tenure at Nasik Division, he had exhibited great competence and quality in test flying of MiG 21 aircraft. A total of 606 sorties comprising 424.25 hours of test flying on MiG 21 aircraft were carried out by him which also includes testing of aircraft entirely manufactured in India. During his tenure at Bangalore, he has shown great skill and determination in flight testing of different types of aircraft and has carried out 465.15 hours. He has been associated with the critical phase of development testing including jettisoning of external fuel tanks from Kiran and Gnat aircraft during which he has displayed keen aptitude and high degree of skill. His meticulous planning and very good execution enabled the Sea level trials on the prototype Agricultural aircraft to be completed successfully within a very short time.

Throughout, Wing Commander Brijesh Dhar Jayal displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty.

Wing Commander Vijay Anant Joshi was commissioned in the IAF on 28th October 1963. He has held the appointments of Flight Commander of S-22 and MiG-21 Squadrons and has undergone flying courses abroad. He graduated as Production Test Pilot in 1976. Thereafter he was posted as Senior Test Pilot in HAL Nasik Division and he logged over 600 hrs of test flying on all variants of MiG21 aircraft.

During his test flying tenure at HAL, the officer tackled number of grave emergencies with proficiency and skill, thereby managing to execute safe landings. In all these emergencies, Wg Cdr Joshi showed a clear sense of judgment, professional capability and saved valuable aircraft.

For having consistently displayed high professional skill, sustained devotion to duty and exemplary record as a Production Test Pilot, the President is pleased to award Vayu Sena Medal to Wing Commander Vijay Anant Joshi.

The services of Wing Commander Subramanyan Chenna Keshu were loaned from the I.A.F. to H.A.L in May, 1960, as Prototype Production Engineer. When the programme for building H.F.-24 prototype production began, this officer was given the task to study the best method of production based on an examination of the drawings of this indigenous supersonic fighter. He was also to study the latest method of manufacture and to produce the parts in the shortest possible time. This officer contributed in a significant manner to the flying of the first Prototype in June 1961 and brought to bear on his task technical and organizational ability of a high order. In addition, in the past 2 ½ years of his service with the H.A.L., the officer has built up a team of engineers and technicians, which is now engaged in the preparation of quantity production of H.F.-24.

Wing Commander Chandrakant Sridhar Naik was appointed, on deputation from I.A.F. as Officer-in-Charge, Flight Test Group HF-24 Project on 1st June, 1960. The officer's task was to create facilities for flight development of the HF-24 Prototype. Such facilities did not exist in the country as this was the first time flight development of a high performance aircraft was undertaken in India. The task involved planning of flight test, working our the most optimum flight test techniques, design and installation of automatic recording equipment in the prototypes, working out the methods of analysis of results, training of raw personnel, etc. Being a completely new field of technical activity no trained personnel were readily available. The time available for creation of facilities was barely nine months. Starting with these severe handicaps, this officer executed his task in a commendable manner and managed to undertaken flight development of Supersonic aircraft. The voluminous data obtained and analysed during the flights of the prototypes have proved to be very accurate and extremely valuable. In the absence of such data the development of the HF-24 aircraft would have been a difficult task. Wing Commander Naik, in executing these tasks, has shown very high engineering skill and devotion to duty of a high order.

Wing Commander Bal Krishan Dhiman (4332) was commissioned in the Flying Branch (Pilot) of the Air Force in August, 1952. After service in several fighter squadrons, he was given training as a flying instructor, and served in that capacity at a flying training unit. Thereafter, following another period of service in operational squadrons, he was given training as a test pilot. He has since been serving as a test pilot in the Air Force, and since December 1965 with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Wing Commander Dhiman was the first Indian Air Force Pilot posted to the Nasik Division of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, where he is actively associated with test flying of MiG-21 FL aircraft in different phases of production. The initiative, courage and dedication to duty shown by him in the discharge of his duties have been of high order. His contribution towards the different phases of production of MiG-21 FL aircraft have been most valuable. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has been so highly impressed by his professional skill that they were able to return a foreign Test Pilot much earlier than scheduled.

Throughout his career, Wing Commander Bal Krishan Dhiman has rendered distinguished service of a high order, for which he is awarded Vishisht Seva Medal.

Squadron Leader Anand has been serving as a Project Officer with Hindustan Aeronautics. He was responsible for coordinating and organizing various facilities required for para-trooping trials conducted in a foreign country. By his personal efforts and initiative he developed an automatic aerial delivery system. Awarded Vishisht Seva Medal for determination, professional skill and devotion to duty.

Wing Commander Dharam Singh Gupta (4643) was commissioned in the Education Branch of the Indian Air Force in November, 1953. During his service career, he has filled a wide variety of appointments creditably. He served as Staff Officer to Air Officer in-Charge Maintenance prior to taking up his assignment of Staff Officer to Chairman, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. At Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, he was additionally handling the duties of Assistant Commercial Manager in the Commercial Department at the Head Office. In all these appointments, he has been intimately connected with the policy issues connected with maintenance, operations and the plethora of problems arising with a highly sophisticated industrial complex like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

While performing his onerous duties, he has, through his own efforts, obtained a Master's Degree in Business Administration, with distinction, from Delhi University. He has unmistakably demonstrated that he is capable of hard work under conditions of stress without allowing the quality of his work to suffer.

Wing Commander Dharam Singh Gupta's day-to-day work as an Aide, personal example, tact, utmost discretion, selfless devotion to duty and the commendable manner in which he has always handled extremely sensitive issues are worthy of emulating by others. He has rendered distinguished service of high order.

Group Captain Arvindra Singh Butola VM (16789) F (P) was commissioned on 04 Jun 1982 in the Flying branch of the IAF. During 22 years of distinguished service, he has held important appointments which includes Flying Instructor at Basic Flying Training School (BFTS) and Helicopter Training School (HTS), Senior Test Flight Instructor at Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Senior Flying Instructor at Namibian Defence Force and Commanding Officer of a Cheetah Unit. He is a Qualified flying Instructor, Experimental Test Pilot and graduate of Defence Services Staff College. He has more than 6100 hrs of accident/incident free flying of which 800 hrs have been flown towards test flying various types of helicopters in last three years. He has been awarded Vayu Sena Medal for displaying exceptional professionalism and devotion to duty. Presently he is on deputation to HAL as Deputy Chief Test Pilot since 21 Jul 2001.

As a QFI and Test Pilot, Gp Capt Butola converted user pilots on ALH on its induction into the three Services during 2002-03. Concerned with sudden increase in the accident rate of Cheetah helicopters including several fatal accidents, a project was taken up by HAL to re-engine the Cheetah with Turbomeca TM-333-2M2 to increase the reliability of the helicopter and resolve other problems affecting the indispensable Cheetah fleet. This was important as no other existing helicopter could meet the stringent requirements to operate in "Siachen Glacier". Group Captain Butola as a project pilot for the reengining of Cheetah involved himself with the project from the design phase and progressed it to first flight and thereafter single handedly undertook the flight-testing of the helicopter, at Bangalore and Leh, up to certification. He used his knowledge as a test pilot and experience of having operated Cheetah extensively at high altitudes to drive the project successfully and ensured that all problems were addressed and a solution found. Subsequent to certification by CEMILAC, Group Captain Butola successfully inducted re-engined Cheetah into the "Siachen Glacier" in May 2004.

The officer has not only displayed exceptional professional aptitude but has also been an epitome of sincerity and dedication while handling the project. The success of the re-engined Cheetah and its induction into the service would not only improve the reliability and safety of Cheetah but will also significantly improve the high altitude performance and reduce the cost of operation substantially. This will give a new lease of life to the Cheetah fleet and enhance operational capability.

For his distinguished service of high order, the Hon'ble President is pleased to award 'Vishisht Seva Medal' to Group Captain Arvindra Singh Butola VM.