Bharat Electronics Limited: Empowering the Nation's Defence Forces
Started in April 1954, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has been serving the nation's defence, paramilitary forces and other civilian customers for over 61 years. BEL has been providing hi-tech products and systems in the areas of Military Communication, Radars, Missile Systems, Naval Systems, C4I Systems, Homeland Security, Telecom & Broadcast Systems, Electronic Warfare Systems, Tank Electronics, Electro Optics, professional electronic components and solar photovoltaic systems. It has also revolutionized the Indian elections with its Electronic Voting Machine, which has made the voting process tamper-proof, reduced paper use and made counting easy. Civilian products from BEL include Tablet PC, solar-powered traffic signals, smart cards and access control systems.
Financial Strength
BEL ended the financial year 2014-15 by registering sales turnover of Rs.6,694.57 crores, a growth of 8.43% over the previous year's turnover of Rs.6,174.23 crores. BEL achieved exports worth USD 57.85 Million in 2014-15, registering a growth of 37.7% over the previous year's export turnover of USD 42 Million. BEL has an order book of around Rs.22,100 crores as on April 1, 2015.
Major Orders Executed
Some of the significant orders executed during 2014-15 include Missile Systems for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army, Passive Night Vision Devices, Tactical Control Radar, Shipborne Electronic Warfare Systems, Hull Mounted Sonar, Fire Control Systems, Missile Warning System and Combat Management System. As part of the 'Make in India' initiative, about 80% of the sales turnover came from indigenously developed technologies.
R & D
R&D has been the main focus area for increasing indigenisation and value addition in BEL's products and systems. The total expenditure on R&D as a percentage of turnover during the year was 8.2%, which is one of the highest among defence Public Sector Undertakings. BEL has filed for 9 patents.
Future Outlook
The Government's greater emphasis on 'Make in India' initiative in Defence sector provides a great opportunity for the Company to enhance its indigenisation efforts and to address the opportunities in the Indian defence sector. Segments like Radar and Missile Systems, Communication and Network Centric Systems, Tank Electronics, Gun Upgrades and Electro-Optic Systems and Electronic Warfare and Avionics Systems will continue to drive BEL's growth in the coming 5 years.
Capacity enhancement and creation of new test facilities is helping BEL achieve its targeted growth in the defence sector. BEL is also eyeing a bigger pie in the civilian segment and is pursuing business opportunities in the fields of Homeland Security, Smart Cards and Telecom. In the backdrop of increasing competition in the defence business from the private industry, BEL is all geared up with strategies and actions plans to maintain its technological edge and ensure future growth. With its inherent strengths, strong R&D, state-of-the-art infrastructure, competent workforce and diverse product range, BEL intends to retain its leadership position in strategic electronics.
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