Rs 1,476 crore BEL deal to strengthen Indian Army surveillance, networking

The defence ministry on Tuesday signed a Rs 1,476 crore contract with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to procure five ground-based mobile electronic systems for the Indian Army.

The mobile electronic systems are expected to boost the Army’s surveillance and networking infrastructure.

The ministry said the systems will have a minimum of 72 per cent indigenous content.

“The contract, under the buy (Indian-Indigenously designed, developed and manufactured) category, was inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh,” the ministry said.

“The system will modernise the Indian Army units and strengthen the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem of the country,” it said in a brief statement.

The defence ministry said the contract reinforced prime minister Narendra Modi-led government’s commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make-in-India in the defence sector.