The Navratna Defence PSU is partnering with a variety of companies engaged in the manufacturing and technology development of many defence equipment and components
Lately, Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), Indian Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) signed a series of Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with many defence-sector companies. With the signing, BEL looks forward to working with these companies as an ally and marching towards self-reliance in the sector.
BEL & YIL
BEL signed an MoU with Yantra India Limited (YIL), a Defence PSU for cooperation in the areas of ammunition hardware and military-grade components. The two companies aim to jointly address the requirements of Indian defence and export markets. The official statement noted: MoU aims at leveraging the complementary strengths and capabilities of BEL and YIL and sharing of manufacturing and test infrastructure/resources for the production of arms and ammunition and related systems.
2021-born Yantra India Limited is an Indian state-owned defence company, established as part of the restructuring and corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board into multiple Public Sector Undertakings. YIL has production facilities at eight locations and primarily manufactures specialised components and equipment required for manufacturing hardware for small to high-calibre ammunition, rockets, bombs, fuzes, etc. It also produces special-grade steel and aluminium alloy forgings/castings/extrusions etc.
BEL & Profense
Similarly, for cooperation in the manufacturing and marketing of light weapons, the DPSU signed an MoU with the US-based Profense LLC, at the Defexpo 2022. The notification said that the MoU aims to leverage the complementary strengths and capabilities of BEL and Profense LLC. It will enable the two companies to jointly develop light weapons for current and future market requirements.
Phoenix-headquartered Profense is a leading company in the business of defence weapon systems’ manufacturing, system integration and training. Profense claims to have registered with various US Government agencies to manufacture and support weapon systems for domestic and foreign use.
BEL & Spacefaring Technologies
BEL has also signed an MoU with Spacefaring Technologies Pvt Ltd for cooperation in technology development in the field of fabric-based radome, shelters, deployable space habitats, aerostat, etc, for defence and non-defence applications. The official notification pointed out that the MoU aims to leverage the complementary strengths and capabilities of BEL and Spacefaring. It will enable both companies to address the diverse needs of the Indian defence forces and civilian customers to protect personnel and critical defence assets, rapidly deployable unpressurised and pressurised radomes and next-gen aerostat airborne long-range surveillance platform systems.
Bangaluru-born start-up Spacefaring Technologies Pvt Ltd works in the design, development and production of a variety of soft goods or deployable/inflatable systems for critical defence and space exploration applications such as advanced shelters for extreme environments, unpressurised and pressurised radomes, aerostats, deployable space habitats, micrometeoroid, and orbital debris ballistic shielding.
BEL & SVC TECH
In yet another MoU signed by BEL, it committed to manufacturing and marketing heavy-duty blast doors, by cooperating with SVC TECH VENTURES LLP.
SVC TECH is engaged in the development and indigenous manufacture of blast-proof doors certified by an international testing agency as well as by CFEES and DRDO. Blast-proof doors, which can withstand large pressure and fragment impact, are needed at the defence ministry facilities.
BEL & HSL
Likewise, the DPSU has signed an MoU with another DPSU Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) to carry out joint development, manufacturing and product upgrades of identified products /systems and to capitalise on the emerging opportunities in the domestic defence, non- defence and export markets.
Working under the Ministry of Defence, Hindustan Shipyard Ltd is a premier shipbuilding organisation catering to the needs of shipbuilding, ship repairs, submarine construction and refits as well as design and construction of offshore and onshore structures.
It is noteworthy that BEL recently signed MoUs with other private sector companies at the Def-Expo 2022.
Bengaluru-based BEL is a Navratna DPSU under the Indian Defence Ministry. It was established way back in 1954, to meet the needs of the Indian defence services for electronics equipment, systems and services.
