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New Delhi/Bengaluru, July 19, 2023: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a Navratna Defence PSU, and CoRover Private Limited, a human-centric conversational and generative AI company, have signed a two-year, non-exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate as partners and indigenously develop and deploy emerging technologies and technical solutions to address the requirements of AI-based solutions, especially Conversational AI-based virtual assistants.

This strategic MoU, which would leverage the strengths and capabilities of both the organisations, is envisaged to give a boost to the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative and go a long way in realising the Government’s vision of a Digital India.

The MoU will enable both the companies to collaborate in areas of Generative AI platform, particularly the BharatGPT platform of Co-Rover. Artificial Intelligence can be used to develop many more interactive applications like Dialogue/Conversational Management, Real Time Analytics, Speech to Text (STT)/Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Text to Speech (TTS), Speech to Speech (STS), Video to Text, Documents-to-Text (fine-tuned AI-based OCR, hand-written documents are also supported), Text-to-Q&A (Q&A Generator), Text-to-Voice (voice cloning), Text-to- Video (Video Cloning), Sentiment Analysis, and many more.

BEL, India’s leading manufacturer of Defence electronic products and systems, brings to the table extensive expertise in research, design, development and production across multiple segments. BEL’s areas of business encompass Radars & Weapon Systems, Communication Systems, Electronic Warfare Systems, C4I Systems, Anti-submarine Warfare Systems, Electro-Optic Systems, and more. BEL has also established a robust manufacturing infrastructure and an ecosystem for research and development. Furthermore, BEL is actively engaged in software product development for various projects.

CoRover Private Limited, on the other hand, has developed the world’s first human- centric conversational AI platform, being used by 1.3 Billion users, powered by cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). CoRover’s expertise lies in developing secure, scalable and reliable conversational AI, VideoBot, VoiceBot and ChatBot solutions. Their innovative products have found applications in various sectors, including Defence, Banking, Finance, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Travel, e-Commerce and more.

New Delhi/Bengaluru, July 19, 2023: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a Navratna Defence PSU, and Gabriel Power and Energy Pvt Ltd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate as partners and come up with state-of-the-art, cutting-edge technologies which can be manufactured in India for the use of Government and private sectors.

The strategic MoU, which would leverage the strengths and capabilities of both the organisations, is envisaged to give a boost to the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative and help realise the Government’s vision of a Digital India. The focus on indigenous manufacturing reinforces the two companies’ commitment to the ’Make in India‘ initiative, enhancing indigenous capabilities and positioning India globally, as a leading manufacturing hub for advanced power and energy solutions. The partnership will also have a significant impact on job creation within the power and energy sectors

As part of the MoU, BEL and Gabriel would work closely together to usher in state-of- the-art technologies which would be further optimised and manufactured in India. The partnership will encompass a wide range of products, including EV Chargers, Smart Meters, Green Hydrogen Generation, Hydrogen Gensets and Solar Steam Solutions.

BEL, India’s leading manufacturer of Defence electronic products and systems, brings to the table extensive expertise in research, design, development and production across multiple segments. BEL’s areas of business encompass Radars & Weapon Systems, Communication Systems, Electronic Warfare Systems, C4I Systems, Anti-submarine Warfare Systems, Electro-Optic Systems, and more. BEL has also established a robust manufacturing infrastructure and an ecosystem for research and development.

Gabriel Power is a company that is backed by several Global Funds and has partnerships with various companies worldwide. Gabriel has cutting-edge technologies for products like EV Chargers, Smart Meters, Solar PV Panels, Solar Steam, Hydrogen Gensets, Hydrogen Fuel Cells, etc. It would bring these technologies to India, manufacture few products along with BEL under ’Make in India‘ and sell it in India, Asia, Middle East and Africa.

Bengaluru, June 30, 2023: Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has received new Defence and non-Defence orders worth Rs. 2,191 Cr. Above orders are for supply of Long Range Guidance Kit with Warhead, Airborne V/UHF Jammer, Battlefield Surveillance Radar (Short Range) Upgrade, Missile Guidance Radar & Control Centre, Upgraded Radio Relay (F) with Data Modem Encryption Unit Mk II, Identify Friend or Foe Mk XII A, Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) Sonar, and Spares. These orders are in addition to the Rs. 5,900 Cr orders, which are already received. With this, BEL has in all received orders to the tune of Rs. 8,091 Cr till now in the financial year 2023-24.

New Delhi, June 21, 2023:  Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a multi-Unit, multi- technology, multi-product Navratna Defence PSU, and HFCL Limited (HFCL), a leading technology enterprise and provider of next-generation communication products, have signed a two-year, non-exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to leverage the strengths and capabilities of both the organisations and partner to indigenously develop and deploy emerging technologies and technical solutions to address the requirements of Defence, Telecom and Railway sectors.

This strategic MoU is envisaged to give a boost to the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative and go a long way in realising the Government’s vision of a digital India.

As part of this MoU, BEL and HFCL shall pursue business opportunities, capitalising on their domain expertise, technological strengths and market presence to enhance the nation’s capabilities in Defence and contribute to the growth of telecommunications infrastructure and other critical, developing sectors. BEL and HFCL shall in this process explore options such as Transfer of Technology and joint production of mutually identified products and solutions.

Mr Vinay Kumar Katyal, Director (Bangalore Complex), BEL, said, “As India undergoes a massive digital transformation with the rollout of 5G, rapid adoption of new-age technologies across sectors has become imperative. With this tectonic shift in the telecommunication industry, the Indian Government has prioritised its focus on initiatives such as acceleration of the implementation of 5G network, nationwide fiberisation and promoting participation in the PLI scheme. We believe that our partnership with HFCL will certainly play a crucial role in meeting the Government’s target of building state-of-the-art technology architecture. Our domain expertise in Defence combined with HFCL’s cutting- edge solutions will enable us to actively contribute to the Government’s vision of a digital India and help establish India as a prominent global manufacturing hub.”

Elaborating on the strategic partnership, Mr Mahendra Nahata, Managing Director of HFCL said, “We are honoured to enter into this strategic alliance with one of India’s largest DPSUs, Bharat Electronics Limited, and extend our support to the Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. Under the MoU, both the organisations will leverage their combined leadership and expertise in developing and manufacturing innovative products, solutions and technological capabilities to address the opportunities across sectors including Defence, Telecom and Railways. With our strong focus on R&D, we aim to strengthen India’s Defence capabilities and make India a global manufacturing hub for Defence, Telecom, communication and networking products.”

About BEL

Navratna PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) was established in 1954 under the Ministry of Defence, GoI, with a farsighted vision to make the country self-reliant in Defence electronics. Today, BEL is a multi-Unit, multi-technology, multi-product conglomerate which designs, manufactures and supplies state-of-the-art products and systems in a wide variety of fields including Radars, Missile Systems, Military Communications, Naval Systems, Electronic Warfare & Avionics, C4I Systems, Electro Optics, Tank Electronics & Gun/Weapon System Upgrades, and Electronic Fuzes in the Defence segment.

BEL’s non-Defence business segment includes areas such as Electronic Voting Machines, Homeland Security & Smart Cities, Satellite Integration & Space Electronics, Railways, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Software as a Service, Energy Storage Products, besides Composite Shelters & Masts. BEL is fast expanding its global presence, putting its best foot forward to give a thrust to exports worldwide. All-out efforts are being made to tap new markets across the globe, including the Indian Ocean Region and friendly foreign countries.

BEL is also putting in its best efforts to ensure that it is in sync with the Government’s larger goal of indigenisation and self-reliance by engaging in collaborative R&D, augmenting its own R&D set up, outsourcing work to Indian private industries and MSMEs, and going in for Public-Private partnerships to execute turnkey projects.

About HFCL

HFCL is a leading technology company specialising in creating digital networks for telcos, enterprises and governments. Over the years, HFCL has emerged as a trusted partner offering sustainable high-tech solutions with a commitment to provide the latest technology products to its customers. Our strong R&D expertise coupled with our global system integration services and decades of experience in fibre optics enable us to deliver innovative digital network solutions required for the most advanced networks.

The Company’s in-house R&D centres located at Gurugram and Bengaluru along with invested R&D houses and other R&D collaborators at different locations in India and abroad, innovate a futuristic range of technology products and solutions. HFCL has developed capabilities to provide premium quality OpticalFiber and Optical Fiber Cables, state-of-the-art telecom products including 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) products, 5G Transport Products, WiFi Systems (WiFi 6, WiFi 7), Unlicensed Band Radios, Switches, Routers and Software Defined Radios.

The Company has state-of-the-art Optical Fiber and Optical Fiber Cable manufacturing plants at Hyderabad, Optical Fiber Cable manufacturing plant in Goa and in its subsidiary HTL Limited at Chennai.

We are a partner of choice for our customers across India, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and USA. Our commitment to quality and environmental sustainability inspires us to innovate solutions for the ever-evolving customer needs.

Bharat Electronics Limited has received Orders worth Rs. 5900 Crore as of today in the financial year 2023-24.

Akash Prime Weapon System (Rs. 3914 Crore)

BEL received order for 2 Regiments of Improved Akash Weapon System (AWS) with upgrades from BDL for a value of Rs. 3914 Crore.

Akash is an all-weather, point/area air-defence weapon system intended for defending vulnerable points/areas against threats emanating from low, medium and high altitudes. The system uses high mobility vehicles for mobile application.

The improvements incorporated include high altitude operation, simultaneous engagement of multiple threats over 360 degrees, missiles fitted with RF Seeker and reduced foot print.

Other Significant Orders valued at Rs. 1984 Crore

Other significant orders received inter-alia include orders for Shakti EW & Sanket MK III (Naval Systems), GBMES & GBVU Com Jammer systems, MKBT systems, IFF-MK-XII Crypto Modules & Up gradation of SDP & Display of Rohini Radar, Training system for CMS P15B & CAMC of CMS for P 28 etc.

Bengaluru, June 16, 2023: Mr Kaipa Venkata Suresh Kumar took charge as Director (Marketing) of Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) on June 16, 2023. He was serving as the General Manager of BEL’s Product Development & Innovation Center (PD&IC) in Bengaluru before his elevation.

A post-graduate in Electronics & Communications engineering, Mr Suresh Kumar joined BEL in May 1989 as a Probationary Engineer. An accomplished engineer, he has worked on multiple technologies at multiple Units of BEL, held key corporate positions, including that of Chief Indigenisation Officer, BEL. In an eventful career spanning 34 years, he has gained rich experience in diverse technology areas dealing with all major customer segments, and played a pivotal role in driving business development through R&D.

Mr Suresh Kumar is a recipient of the prestigious Raksha Mantri’s Excellence Award. Under his able tutelage, many patents / copy rights have been created by his teams.

He has worked in all phases of product development life-cycle, including conceptualisation, design, development, qualification, installation and commissioning, field trials and induction of systems. He has in-depth knowledge and understanding of the end user’s needs / requirements, and the means to meet them.

During his tenure as GM (PD&IC), he guided a team of 500 engineers for in-house development of technology modules in 16 verticals, which are used across BEL. He also drove the IP generation and skill enhancement initiative at PD&IC. Prior to this assignment, Mr Suresh Kumar held the position of General Manager (Technology Planning) at BEL’s Corporate Office, where he spearheaded planning and execution of all R&D activities across the company, which resulted in a large number of R&D projects that have since been successfully commercialised.

His efforts and contributions, during the period 2017-2019, resulted in the induction of highly complex and state-of-the-art airborne EW Systems onto the fighter aircraft of IAF, paving the way for receipt of orders worth Rs. 3,000 Cr.

Mr Suresh Kumar was instrumental in realising an above 90 Mn USD export order from Airbus for the supply of EW Suite, the single largest export order received by BEL. He also introduced new products and generated future business opportunities worth about Rs. 4,000 Cr.

Between 2014 and 2017, he successfully led teams for the development and induction of a very large number of Electro-Optic products / systems into the Indian Army and Paramilitary Forces, which in turn have fetched BEL a business of about Rs. 5,000 Cr. He also aggressively pursued indigenisation efforts and saved about Rs. 300 Cr FE.

Prior to 2014, he had developed and inducted many EW systems into the helicopters and aircraft of Indian Navy and IAF. During the same period, his efforts have resulted in the receipt of about Rs. 1,000 Cr order from IAF on nomination basis for setting up the world’s most comprehensive EW Test Range in India.

Since 2021, he has been serving as the Chief Indigenisation Officer of BEL and has made significant contributions to the Government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’. BEL has saved more than Rs. 1,000 Cr FE in the last two years through indigenisation efforts. The company has also contributed over 100 products to the Positive Indigenisation lists promulgated by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. A majority of these products are under development through the Make II route.

Bengaluru, June 1, 2023: Mr Vikraman N took charge as the Director (HR) of Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) today. He was serving as Executive Director (Radar) and Unit Head of BEL’s Ghaziabad Unit prior to his elevation to the Board.

Mr Vikraman has 35 years of vast, rich experience in handling various facets of HR and diverse functions such as Testing, Marketing and Customer Support in the field of Radars and Missile Systems. He holds a degree in Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) in Electronics & Communication and Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management. He is a recipient of the prestigious Raksha Mantri’s Award for ‘Innovation’. He is also a certified Project Management Professional from Project Management Institute, USA.

As ED (Radar) and Unit Head, BEL-Ghaziabad, he steered the second biggest Unit of BEL to its highest ever turnover and profitability and was presented ‘Achiever’ Award at the annual Roll-on-Plan Business Meet of BEL.

Mr Vikraman has played a pivotal role in providing a strategic edge to the Human Resources function in BEL. During his previous tenure as General Manager (Human Resources) at BEL’s Corporate Office, Mr Vikraman was responsible for institutionalising HR policies and strategies in alignment with the business requirements of BEL. He established new systems and procedures in areas such as Manpower Planning, Performance Management, Training & Development, Competency Development, Skill Development, etc. He was responsible for introducing a comprehensive framework for various competencies for benchmarking performance standards and providing a more equitable method for career progression. Under his leadership, BEL received the certification for People Capability Maturity Model (Level 3).

Mr Vikraman has promoted an atmosphere conducive for learning within the company through the establishment of the BEL Academy for Excellence and fostering partnerships with both national and international academia. Some of his other major contributions to BEL in the field of HR include institutionalising ERP based Learning Management System for Talent Management, establishing Functional Competency Dictionary to build competencies required for different job roles, and introducing a blended e-learning platform to promote flexi-learning. He implemented changes in key HR processes to ensure safety of the workforce during the pandemic, thus ensuring business continuity.

In his previous assignment at BEL’s Missile Systems SBU, Mr Vikraman developed multi-disciplinary competencies in his team to handle system integration projects. He nurtured the culture change required for the organisation to migrate from the role of a Radar manufacturer to that of a Weapon System Integrator. During his tenure as Head of Testing, Marketing & Customer Support, the Missile Systems SBU achieved a record turnover of Rs. 1,000 Crores for four consecutive years. Mr Vikraman managed over 100 major stakeholders who were involved in the prestigious Akash project and successfully completed the realisation of the country’s first indigenous missile system.

Bengaluru, May 5, 2023: Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed an MoU with Emjay Control Systems Pvt Ltd to jointly manufacture and develop business for state-of-the-art, electro-mechanical bollards for use in various Defence, Homeland Security, Paramilitary and export projects.

The bollards are envisaged to safeguard vital installations by pre-empting unauthorised entry of heavy vehicles. They are built to withstand the impact of IED-laden vehicles weighing from 24,000-1,50,000 Kgs and coming in at alarming speeds from 80-100 Kmph.

The bollards have been indigenously designed, in keeping with the Government’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat policies.

About Emjay Control Systems Pvt Ltd

Emjay Control Systems Pvt Ltd is a Bengaluru-based company having its manufacturing centre at Malur in Kolar district. Emjay is a leading manufacturer of Automatic Retractable Bollards with manual override, having Indian and US patents, with the brand name ISEQ (International Security Equipment).

About BEL

Navratna PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) was established in 1954 under the Ministry of Defence, GoI, with a farsighted vision to make the country self-reliant in Defence electronics. Today, BEL is a multi-product, multi-technology, multi-Unit conglomerate which designs, manufactures and supplies state-of-the-art products and systems in a wide variety of fields including Radars, Missile Systems, Military Communications, Naval Systems, Electronic Warfare & Avionics, C4I Systems, Electro Optics, Tank Electronics & Gun/Weapon System Upgrades, and Electronic Fuzes in the Defence segment.

BEL’s non-Defence business segment includes areas such as Electronic Voting Machines, Homeland Security & Smart Cities, Satellite Integration & Space Electronics, Railways, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Software as a Service, Energy Storage Products, besides Composite Shelters & Masts. BEL is fast expanding its global presence, putting its best foot forward to give a thrust to exports worldwide. All-out efforts are being made to tap new markets across the globe, including the Indian Ocean Region and friendly foreign countries.

Be it the efforts that the Company has been putting in to engage in collaborative R&D in addition to augmenting its own R&D set up — its recent attempts to outsource work to Indian private industries and MSMEs, or the path breaking decision to go in for Public-Private partnerships to execute turnkey projects, BEL is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that it is in sync with the Government’s larger goal of indigenisation and self-reliance.

Photo caption: Senior officers of BEL and Emjay Control Systems Pvt Ltd display the MoU signed between both the companies for joint manufacture and business development of bollards for strategic use.

Bengaluru, April 1, 2023: Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has achieved a turnover of about Rs. 17300 Cr (Provisional & Unaudited), during the Financial Year 2022-23, against the previous year’s turnover of Rs. 15,044 Cr registering a growth of 15%.

BEL’s Order Book as on April 1, 2023, is around Rs. 60500 Cr. In the year 2022-23, BEL secured significant orders of around Rs.20200 Cr (excluding taxes). Some of the major orders acquired during the year were Himashakti, Medium Power Radar (Arudhra), Air Defence Control & Reporting System (Akashteer), Lynx U2 systems, EW Suite for MLH Upgrade, DR118 for Su-30, Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), SARANG ESM, etc.

Some of the major projects executed during FY 2022-23 were Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) systems, Akash Missile Systems, SATCOM Network, Command & Control Systems, various Radars, Electronic Warfare Systems, Communication equipment, Coastal Surveillance System, Electro-optic Systems, Fire Control Systems, Home Land Security Systems, Smart City projects, etc.

BEL achieved Export sales of around US$ 46.5 Million during FY 2022-23 against the previous year’s export of US$ 33.3 Million registering a growth of 40%. Major products exported include Transmit & Receive (TR) Modules, Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), Control Cards, Link-II Systems, Compact Multi-Purpose Advanced Stabilisation System (CoMPASS), Low Band Receivers (LBREC), Medical Electronics, etc. BEL has acquired Export Orders worth US$ 75.66 Million during the year 2022-23.

Shri. Bhanu Prakash Srivastava, Chairman & Managing Director, BEL, said: “BEL has been contributing to the Government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative in the field of Defence and allied fields in a big way. BEL continues to focus on Research & Development through in-house efforts and collaboration with DRDO, Academia & other Industry partners. Make in India initiatives, Indigenisation, Outsourcing to Indian private industry, procurement from MSMEs & GeM procurement continue to top our priority list. BEL will continue to explore new growth opportunities through export initiatives, diversification, capability enhancement, competitiveness and modernisation.”

Bengaluru / New Delhi, March 31, 2023: Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has received Export orders worth 52 Million USD (approx.) in the month of March 2023. This includes Communication equipment, Electronic Assemblies, Micro Modules and Mechanical parts for various customers from France, Israel, USA, etc.

This is reflective of the growing business interest and confidence among international customers on BEL and other Indian industries, which comes with the encouragement of the Indian Government and its policies aimed at an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.