Yes, Bharat Electronics Limited or BEL is a government company. It is an Indian public sector aerospace and defence electronics company under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Founded in the year 1954 to meet the specialised electronic needs of the Indian defence forces, BEL has evolved into a multi-product, multi-technology and multi-unit conglomerate.
BEL primarily manufactures advanced electronic products for ground and aerospace applications for the Indian armed forces. It is among the 16 PSUs under the Ministry of Defence and holds Navratna status.
Here is a quick overview of BEL
| Details | Info |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Founder | Government of India |
| Headquarters | Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Chairman | Manoj Jain |
| Industry | Electronics, Defence, Aerospace |
| Products | Radar Systems, Weapon Systems, Avionics, Communication Systems, EVMs, Space Electronics and more |
| Number of Factories | 9 |
| Subsidiary | BEL Optronic Devices |
| Official Website | www.bel-india.in |
Company History
Bharat Electronics Limited was established in Bangalore by the Government of India in the year 1954. It commenced operations by manufacturing communication equipment, followed by geranium semiconductors and radio transmitters for the All India Radio. In the year 1967, the company started manufacturing integrated circuits, transmission tubes and silicon devices.
BEL began manufacturing frigate radars for the Indian Navy in 1973, followed by radars and Tropo communication equipment for the Indian Air Force in 1974. During the 1980s and 90s, the company diversified into space electronics, tank electronics, naval equipment, missile systems and other kinds of advanced electronic products.
In the year 2000, BEL reorganised its Bangalore unit into six strategic business units. The company became the first defence PSU to achieve Mini Ratna status in the year 2002. BEL delivered its indigenous communication system to the Indian Navy in the year 2010.
BEL was granted Navratna status by the Government of India in June 2007.
Current Status
BEL is a premier Indian defence conglomerate. It specialises in multiple kinds of defence electronics, including radar and fire control systems, communication and C4I systems, anti-submarine warfare and other naval systems, avionics, electronic warfare systems, electro optics, battle tank electronics and gun upgrades. BEL is the main integrator of the India-made Aakash air defence missile system.
BEL has made a mark in non-defence sectors as well. Its non-defence offerings include electronic voting machines, civilian radars, space electronics, smart cities and e-governance solutions, e-vehicle charging stations, civil aviation, railways and metro, telecom products, broadcast systems, solar power products and software products and services.
BEL has a network of 9 production units or factories located at Bangalore, Chennai, Panchkula, Kotdwar, Pune, Ghaziabad, Navi Mumbai, Hyderabad and Machilipatnam.
Future Outlook
BEL has a strong and positive outlook, driven by a robust order book and execution capabilities, rising defence budget, push for indigenisation under Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the Government of India and India’s accelerating defence modernisation. The company’s revenues are forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 15-20% in the next few years.
