Navratna PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has received a Rs 1,640 crore order for Air Defence Fire Control Radar (Atulya) from the Indian Army, according to a stock market disclosure.
“Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), has signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence valued at Rs 1,640 crore (excluding taxes) for the supply of Air Defence Fire Control Radars to the Indian Army. These indigenous radars, designed by DRDO and manufactured by BEL, provide effective defence against air threats during day and night under all weather conditions,” the company said in a regulatory filing today, July 25.
“These radars, having inbuilt ECM capabilities, are used for surveillance, acquisition, tracking of air targets, and control of air defence guns for effective neutralization. The system is modular by design and is easy to deploy, operate, and maintain,” it added.
The contract was signed and exchanged by senior officials of the Ministry of Defence and BEL in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
The procurement marks a pivotal step towards empowering indigenous defence industries by encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing and raw material supply, the statement said.
The government is keen to promote the country’s defence industry, and earlier this month Defence Acquisition Council, under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, gave the go-ahead for 10 proposals to purchase military hardware, including missiles and electronic warfare systems, worth approximately Rs 1.05 lakh crore through indigenous sourcing.
India’s indigenous defence production has surged to an all-time high of Rs 1.46 lakh crore, with exports increasing to a record Rs 24,000 crore in 2024-25, according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
“Our defence production, which was only Rs 43,000 crore 10 to 11 years ago, has now crossed a record figure of Rs 1,46,000 crore, with the private sector’s contribution of over Rs 32,000 crore. Our defence exports, which were around Rs 600-700 crore 10 years ago, have surpassed a record figure of Rs 24,000 crore today,” the minister stated in his address at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) annual summit recently.
He described Make-in-India as crucial for security and prosperity, stating that the use of indigenous systems during Operation Sindoor has proved that India has the power to penetrate any armour of the enemy.
“Our weapons, systems, sub-systems, components, and services are reaching around 100 countries. Over 16,000 MSMEs associated with the defence sector have become the backbone of the supply chain. These companies are not only strengthening our self-reliance journey, but are also providing employment to lakhs of people,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, shares of BEL closed at Rs 395.2 each, down 0.74 per cent on BSE today, July 25.
With inputs from agencies
