Defence Ministry Signs ₹2,000 Crore Deal With BEL To Boost Indigenous Air Defence

The Ministry of Defence on Friday signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to procure Air Defence Fire Control Radars for the Indian Army. The deal is worth around ₹2,000 crore and falls under the Buy (Indian–Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured) category.

These radars will have a minimum of 70 per cent indigenous content. They will detect all types of airborne threats, including fighter jets, helicopters, and drones. This marks a major step in modernising the Army’s Air Defence Regiments and enhancing combat readiness, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The contract was signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. It aims to boost the indigenous defence production ecosystem by involving Indian MSMEs for components and raw material supply.

The government is pushing to promote the defence industry through local sourcing. Earlier this month, the Defence Acquisition Council approved ten proposals to buy equipment like missiles and electronic warfare systems. These deals, worth ₹1.05 lakh crore, will also be sourced indigenously.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India’s indigenous defence production hit a record ₹1.46 lakh crore in 2024–25. Exports touched an all-time high of ₹24,000 crore.

He highlighted the private sector’s contribution of over ₹32,000 crore. Ten years ago, total production was just ₹43,000 crore, and exports were ₹600–700 crore.

Speaking at the CII summit, he called Make-in-India vital for national security. He cited Operation Sindoor as proof of India’s indigenous systems’ capability to defeat enemy forces.

Over 16,000 MSMEs now support the defence supply chain. They are driving self-reliance and creating employment for lakhs of people, the minister added.

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