Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on Sunday inaugurated a state of the art Missile Integration Facility at Bharat Electronics Limited in Bengaluru, flagged off the Akash 3rd and 4th Regiment Combat systems and unveiled the Mountain Fire Control Radar, marking a significant boost to India’s indigenous air defence capabilities.
During the visit, the Raksha Mantri also remotely inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence in Pune and formally unveiled BEL’s AI Policy, underscoring the growing integration of advanced technologies into the defence manufacturing ecosystem.
Shri Rajnath Singh was briefed on a wide range of advanced indigenous defence technologies, including AI based solutions developed by Indian start ups. The briefing highlighted the emphasis on innovation and indigenisation in electronic warfare systems, avionics, naval platforms, electro optics and tank electronics.
Praising BEL’s contribution to strengthening India’s defence preparedness, the Raksha Mantri said the company has enhanced network centric operations through integrated systems, real time data sharing and decision support capabilities, thereby taking combat effectiveness to a new level.
Officials apprised him of ongoing research and development activities aligned with major national defence programmes, including the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile Systems, Light Combat Aircraft Mark II, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, Project Kusha covering medium range and long range surface to air missiles, Counter Drone Systems and Naval Weapon Control Systems.
The briefing underlined that indigenous research initiatives are improving operational preparedness across land, air, naval and strategic domains while reducing dependence on foreign technologies. The Raksha Mantri noted that systems developed for airspace defence and counter drone operations have demonstrated that India’s indigenous solutions meet global standards.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that indigenously developed air defence and anti drone systems were effectively deployed to neutralise threats. He emphasised that advancements in threat prediction, early warning and response mechanisms using artificial intelligence instil operational confidence in defence forces. He added that self reliance in critical defence technologies strengthens national confidence and ensures that victories achieved through indigenous systems carry greater strategic significance.
The Raksha Mantri stressed that artificial intelligence and quantum computing are no longer futuristic concepts but are transforming real time decision making, autonomous systems, cyber defence and precision operations on the battlefield. He called upon BEL, other defence public sector undertakings and industry partners to stay ahead in the evolving technological landscape to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat.
He encouraged the research and development community at BEL to deepen collaboration with start ups, industry and academia to enable agile product development using AI and autonomous technologies. He also emphasised the importance of cross disciplinary collaboration, innovation and rapid prototyping to develop world class defence products aligned with national priorities.
Indigenisation initiatives undertaken by the Central Research Laboratories, Centre of Excellence Electronics Warfare and Photonics, Centre of Excellence Communication, Centre of Excellence Radar and Weapon Systems and the Product Development and Innovation Centre of BEL were showcased during the visit. Start ups and industry partners also displayed their products.
The Raksha Mantri interacted with start ups and young scientists, motivating them to accelerate the development of advanced indigenous technologies.
Secretary Defence Production Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Additional Secretary and Director General Acquisition Shri A Anbarasu, Chairman and Managing Director BEL Shri Manoj Jain and other senior officials were present on the occasion.
