India signs Rs 1,950-crore deal with BEL for mountain radars to boost air defence

In a move aimed at strengthening indigenous defence capabilities, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday signed a Rs 1,950 crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of two advanced mountain radars for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The deal falls under the ‘Buy (Indian–Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)’ category, a key pillar of the government’s Make in India initiatives aimed at reducing dependence on foreign defence imports.

According to the defence ministry, the mountain radar systems have been indigenously designed and developed by the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment, a Bengaluru-based laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). BEL will be responsible for manufacturing, installation and commissioning of the systems, along with associated equipment and infrastructure.

Mountain radars are specifically engineered for deployment in high-altitude terrain, where conventional radar systems face limitations due to line-of-sight restrictions and harsh weather conditions. These systems are expected to significantly enhance the IAF’s surveillance capabilities in mountainous border regions, enabling early detection and tracking of aerial threats such as fighter aircraft, drones and cruise missiles.

Officials said the induction of these radars will strengthen India’s integrated air defence network, particularly along sensitive frontiers, by improving situational awareness and response time. The project is also expected to provide a boost to the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem by involving a network of local suppliers and MSMEs.

The contract is part of a broader push by the government to prioritise indigenous procurement in defence acquisitions. Over the past few years, the MoD has increasingly emphasised domestic design and production, reserving several capital acquisition categories exclusively for Indian vendors.

Beyond operational gains, the deal is expected to generate employment and deepen technological capabilities within the country’s defence sector, reinforcing long-term self-reliance in critical military technologies.

- Ends