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Bengaluru, September 1, 2020: Mr M V Raja Sekhar took charge as Director (R&D) of Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) on September 1, 2020. He was working as Chief Scientist of BEL’s Central Research Laboratory (CRL)-Bangalore, and Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at BEL’s Corporate Office, before his elevation.

Mr M V Raja Sekhar joined BEL’s Ghaziabad Unit on February 1, 1985, as Probationary Engineer after completing B.Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. In a career spanning over the last 35 years, he has worked in various capacities and gained rich experience in diverse technologies of BEL.

He was involved in the testing of Communication products such as Static and Digital Mobile Tropo-scatter Communication & Satcom Networks, Radar Displays and Command & Control Systems during his tenure at BEL’s Ghaziabad Unit. In the year 2000, he moved to Hyderabad Unit and worked on the testing and commissioning of various Electronic Warfare systems. In 2004, he was transferred to Machilipatnam Unit.

During his tenure at Machilipatnam Unit, Mr Raja Sekhar contributed to the design and development of Night Vision Devices which have been supplied in large quantities to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Army. He has established a good design base for BEL in IR Optics and initiated signal processing development at CRL-Bangalore. He was instrumental in the indigenous development of state-of-the-art Thermal Imager-based Sights and Systems in association with IRDE (DRDO) which resulted in significant business growth for the Company.

In May 2016, he was promoted as Chief Technology Officer (Electro Optics & Lasers). As CTO (EO&L), he initiated many new projects in Electro-Optics and Lasers at BEL’s Product Development & Innovation Centre (PD&IC), complementing the efforts of Unit D&Es and CRL-Bangalore. He was a guiding force for the scientists of CRL-Bangalore and PD&IC for the development of Fiber Laser Technology in strategic alliance with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI).

In June 2019, he moved to CRL-BG as Chief Scientist and led a team of around 260 scientists working on diverse technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Drones, Cyber Security, Cloud & Data Analytics, Tactical Communications, Radar Signal & Data Processing, EO&L, Smart Computing Devices, Embedded Systems, Networking Devices and Systems and Advanced Signal Processing for EW & Acoustics, before his elevation as Director (R&D).

Bengaluru/Delhi, August 14, 2020: The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singhji, on Friday announced through Video Conference the Expression of Interest (EoI)/Request for Proposal (RFP) being issued by Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) under Inter Governmental Agreement (IGA) and Make-II category for the indigenisation of five products, as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Mr Gowtama M V, Chairman & Managing Director, BEL, on the occasion gave a presentation to the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri on the five products, namely Brazing Wire; Motion Platform, 6 Degrees of Freedom (DoF) & Payload 1000-2000 kg; Dummy Weapons for Small Arm Simulators, Single Board Computer (SBC) and 62X Day Zoom Lens.

Brazing Wires are special alloys, presently being imported from Germany and USA. They are used in Vacuum Brazing process to join dissimilar metals parts, used in medical devices like X-ray and MRI machines.

Motion Platform, 6 Degrees of Freedom (DoF) & Payload 1000-2000 kg is a critical sub-assembly for Vehicular Simulators, presently imported from Australia.

Dummy Weapons for Small Arm Simulators are critical components for various Small Arms Training Simulators, imported from Sweden and not available indigenously. The simulator allows the user to choose any firing position, be it standing, kneeling or lying down. A number of such training simulators can be installed for collective training.

The Single Board Computer (SBC) is a system controller module for an indigenously designed, manufactured ELINT System that is being deployed at the country’s borders. The SBC board is a multi-layered PCB designed with Quad Core i7 Processor and various on-board interface and memory devices. The interfaces include Ethernet, USB ports & IO lines which are used for transmission of signals to other high speed boards in the system. This module is being imported currently from USA and is proposed to be indigenised under Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The 2X Day Zoom Lens is a part of Long Range Day Surveillance equipment, presently being imported from USA, having considerable requirement by Army/MHA. The Lens worth Rs. 0.1 Crores is proposed to be procured for current and future requirements.

Vendor Meet: BEL conducted a Vendor Meet today through Webinar. Mrs Anandi Ramalingam, Director (Markting), briefed the vendors about BEL’s vendor development programme, as part of Make in India. She urged the vendors of BEL to participate in various EoIs being issued by BEL towards indigenisation.

Bangalore, August 14, 2020: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Defence, is happy to announce the successful completion of manufacturing 30,000 numbers of ICU Ventilators in a record time to help GoI in its efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare had earlier placed an order for these 30,000 ICU Ventilators in April 2020 to meet the healthcare infrastructure requirements of the nation, seeing the rise in COVID cases.

Bengaluru/Delhi, August 10, 2020: The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh, on Monday inaugurated through Video Conference the upgraded, state-of-the-art Maareech Integration Facility.

Mr Gowtama M V, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), on the occasion gave a presentation to the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri on Advanced Torpedo Decoy System (ATDS) Maareech. This initiative by BEL is in accordance with the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, a self-reliant nation.

ATDS Maareech is a fully indigenous system involving sensors and decoys developed jointly by DRDO labs, Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) and Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), and productionised by BEL. Two production grade systems manufactured by BEL have been installed and trial evaluated on-board INS Gomati and INS Ganga. The Indian Navy has awarded BEL a contract for Maareech systems.

Prior to the induction of ATDS Maareech, the Indian Navy had imported the system for 12 platforms. But now with the indigenous development of this system, BEL has upgraded its existing facilities with capacity to manufacture and deliver 12 ATDS Maareech systems every year. This facility enables BEL to provide a reliable defence mechanism for Surface Ships of the Indian Navy against possible torpedo attacks. The upgraded ATDS facilities include Test Bays for electronic cabinets, Expendable Decoy Manufacturing and Towed Array Integration & Testing facility (Ramp Structure, Oil Filling facility, Load Test facility and Neutral Buoyancy Tank facility). BEL has constructed a new building for ATDS manufacturing at a cost of around Rs.12 Crores. The indigenously developed Maareech System is a big step towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, as it saves the country around USD 4 Million in foreign exchange per system.

Bengaluru, August 5, 2020: Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has, as part of its CSR initiatives, empowered around 13,000 children studying in 122 Government High Schools of Yadgir district, Karnataka, by equipping these schools with solar-powered Smart Class facilities. The total cost of the project is Rs.3.84 Crores.

Mr Prabhu B Chauhan, Hon’ble Minister for Animal Husbandry, Hajj & Waqf Board, Government of Karnataka, and Minister-in-charge for Yadgir & Bidar districts, Karnataka, inaugurated the new facilities on August 4, 2020, at the Govt Girls High School Yadgir, in the presence of Dr Umesh G Jadhav, MP (LS), Kalburgi; Mr Raja Amareshwara Nayaka, MP (LS), Raichur; Mr Venkata Reddy Gowda Mudnal, MLA, Yadgir; Mr Kurma Rao, IAS, District Collector & District Magistrate, Yadgir; Mr Basavaraj Yadiyapura, President, Zilla Panchayat, Ms Shilpa Sharma, IAS, CEO, Zilla Parishad; and Mr Hrishikesh Bhagawan Sonawane, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Yadgir.

The Solar-powered Smart Class facility offers visually attractive content that helps students to assimilate information more effectively. It facilitates teachers to explain difficult concepts easily, improves teaching effectiveness and enhances the academic performance of the students.

The Smart Class facilities provided by BEL to the Government schools include a 50” LED TV, CPU with accessories, Green Board and LED Lights, all of which is powered by a standalone Solar PV Power System with battery. A cabinet has also been provided to store all the equipment. The digital educational content covers the subjects of English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science for students of 8th, 9th and 10th Class customised as per the State syllabus.

Apart from the Smart Class facility, BEL is also installing hand-wash facility in 100 Government Primary Schools in Yadgir at a cost of Rs.1.02 Crores.

BEL has undertaken various CSR interventions in the Aspirational districts of Yadgir & Raichur in Karnataka under the flagship programme of “Transformation of Aspirational Districts” launched by the Government of India during the PMs CPSE Conclave in April 2018.

Mr Dinesh Kumar Batra assumed charge as Director (Finance) of Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) on August 1, 2020.

Mr Dinesh Batra is an alumnus of Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU), Kanpur, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi, and Management Development Institute, Gurgaon. Mr Dinesh Batra joined BEL at its Ghaziabad Unit in 1984 and in a career spanning over three and half decades, served the Company in various capacities in Ghaziabad, Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru. Prior to his elevation as Director (Finance), he headed Internal Audit at BEL’s Corporate Office, Regional Office-Delhi and Pune Unit as General Manager. With his expertise in cost and financial management, he turned around the Pune Unit with consistent, multi-fold growth in top and bottom line.

Mr Dinesh Batra was instrumental in the company’s move to foray into the Electro-Explosive segment. To make India “Aatmanirbhar” in Electronic Artillery Fuzes and other ammunitions, he got 200 acres land allotted by Maharashtra Government at Nagpur to set up an Explosive Integration Complex. He is also credited with BEL entering into Li-on battery packs for automobiles to support the e-Mobility programme of the Government of India. He was instrumental in BEL-Pune diversifying into the indigenous development and manufacturing of X-ray Baggage Inspection System, Fuel Cell, Fiber Optic Gyro, Chemical Agent Monitor, etc.

Mr Dinesh Batra has the ability to anticipate and address key financial issues, thereby creating wealth for the company. He has rich experience in all areas of Finance, strong analytical skills, strategic thinking and exemplary leadership skills.

Bengaluru, In a move that could provide a major boost to the civil aviation industry, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has entered into an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), providing a platform for both the companies to collaborate and support each other to address the emerging global opportunities in the airport business, including those in the Asia Pacific region.

ln furtherance of such cooperation, AAl, playing the role of a development partner, will render assistance to BEL in its domain of expertise to enable execution of the prestigious MEA projects outside India by BEL. Both the organisations will work in close co-operation with each other in the field of civil aviation, in both present and future projects handled by BEL.

The MoU was signed today by Mr Sanjai Kumar Singhal, General Manager (Business Development), AAI, and Mr Manoj Kumar, Executive Director (National Marketing), Regional Office-Delhi, BEL, at the AAI Corporate Headquarters, in the presence of Mr Arvind Singh, Chairman, AAI, Mr M V Gowtama, CMD, BEL, and senior Management of both the organisations through video conferencing.

Addressing experts from both the sides, Chairman, AAI, exuded optimism that the partnership between the two organisations would prove to be a game-changer in the Indian aviation sector in the years to come. He also said that the manufacturing of Communication, Navigation & Surveillance (CNS) equipment in India will reduce the cost substantially and will save foreign exchange outflow, paving the way for an” Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

CMD, BEL, affirmed that the MoU would provide for synergy of capabilities of both the organisations in their respective domains, leading to mutually beneficial and lasting solutions in the ever-growing field of aviation. He also said that with the skills and expertise of AAI, BEL is hopeful of entering into the domestic civil aviation market as well into the South-East Asian, African and Latin American civil aviation markets.

Mr Sanjai Kumar Singhal, General Manager (Business Development), AAI, and Mr Manoj Kumar, Executive Director (National Marketing), Regional Office-Delhi, display the MoU signed between BEL and AAI, in the presence of Mr Arvind Singh, Chairman, AAI, Mr M V Gowtama, CMD, BEL, and Mrs Anandi Ramalingam, Director (Marketing), BEL.

The employees of Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) have contributed their one day’s salary amounting to Rs. 2.71 Crores to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund.

The Company has also released Rs. 10 Crores from its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Fund towards the PM CARES fund, to combat and contain the COVID- 19 pandemic in India and also for relief efforts.

BEL is putting in all efforts to support the country’s war against COVID-19.

Bengaluru, May 11, 2020: Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has, as part of its CSR initiatives, come forward to lend a helping hand to migrant workers in Bengaluru, impacted by the lockdown implemented countrywide in view of the spread of COVID-19. The Bangalore Complex of BEL today handed over 1,300 grocery kits, valued at Rs. 23 lakhs, to migrant workers through the City Police.

Mr Vinay Kumar Katyal, Director, BEL-Bangalore, and Mr Shivakumaran K M, Director (HR), BEL, handed over the kits containing rice, daal, sugar and other essential commodities to migrant workers in the presence of Mr Shashikumar N, IPS, DCP, Bangalore North, Mrs Nisha James, IPS, Admn Bangalore, Office of Commissioner of Police, and other senior officers of BEL.

In a bid to mitigate the hardships faced by migrant workers, the Bangalore Complex of BEL has, ever since the implementation of lockdown, been providing 250 food packets daily to the workers through the City Police.

The employees of BEL had earlier contributed their one day’s salary amounting to Rs. 2.71 Crores to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund. The Company also released Rs. 10 Crores from its CSR Fund towards the PM CARES fund, to combat and contain the COVID- 19 pandemic in India and also for relief efforts.

Bengaluru, April 9, 2020: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Rishikesh, in collaboration with Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), has developed a state-of-the-art health monitoring system to remotely assess the health of COVID-19 suspects/patients quarantined in homes and hospitals. The solution aims to significantly reduce the risk of exposure to healthcare workers. It is also expected to reduce the increasing demand of PPE and other logistics.

Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to develop a solution to remotely monitor patients for limiting exposure of healthcare workers was prime and urgent. To combat this need, AIIMS Rishikesh and BEL came together to provide a comprehensive digital and clinically appropriate solution. Based on inputs given by AIIMS-Rishikesh, BEL developed the Proof of Concept (PoC) model of a system integrating non-invasive health monitoring sensors to measure critical parameters such as Temperature, Pulse Rate, SPO2 (Saturated Oxygen level) and Respiration Rate. BEL, which has proven expertise in Network Centric and IoT systems, has also networked these sensors for remotely monitoring the critical parameters.

A mobile app / web browser has been developed for people to get enrolled with AIIMS-Rishikesh once they show symptoms of COVID-19. AIIMS-Rishikesh will study patient complaints and based on the assessment by clinical experts, a health monitoring kit will be handed over to the patient for periodical monitoring of the critical parameters.

Patient health parameters, along with patient location, are uploaded on a regular basis on to a centralised Command & Control Centre (CCC) on Cloud using either the patient’s mobile phone or integral GSM SIM. The use of Cloud will facilitate seamless scaling of the database of COVID-19 suspects/patients.

Software will give out alerts in the form of messages to medical officers and health care workers when the health parameters exceed the threshold. It will also record the severity of the patient’s condition in different colour codes.

Data analytics software of the CCC will also graphically map the geo-distribution of COVID-19 suspects/patients in the state. This would help the hospital administration in visualising the hot spots and taking necessary action to isolate and cordon off these areas to check the spread the virus.