The Defence Ministry has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited, Pune for the procurement of electronic fuses for the Indian Army.
- The total cost of this contract is Rs 5,336.25 crore.
- This contract has been made for a period of ten years.
Objective of the project:
- The project aims to decrease reliance on imports, become self-sufficient in making weapons, gain important technology, and ensure the availability of supplies that could be disrupted.
Electronic fuse:
- Electronic fuses are a crucial part of medium to heavy artillery guns. They provide continuous artillery firepower for military operations.
- We will obtain the fuses to use in artillery guns. These guns can deliver deadly strikes in different terrains, including high-altitude areas along the northern borders.
Fuses will be ready in Pune and Nagpur:
- Bharat Electronics Limited will manufacture electronic fuses at its Pune and upcoming Nagpur plant.
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL):
- Established- 1954
- Headquarters – Bangalore
- The BEL is an Indian government-owned aerospace and defence company. It is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Defence.
- It manufactures advanced electronic products primarily for the Indian Armed Forces.
- It has achieved the status of Navratna company.
- BEL also develops Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs).
- Overall, BEL has set up 9 units in India with a wide network of offices and service centres across the country.
- It has received many awards since its inception. Best Global Presence Award, SODET Gold Award for Technology Innovation, Eco-Friendly Award, Digital India PSE of the Year Award, Best R&D Innovation Award, SAP Award for Customer Excellence etc. are some of his awards.
About Navratna Companies in India:
- Navratna status was first given to a group of 9 public sector enterprises (PSEs) in 1997.
- There are 14 enterprises listed under Navratna companies in India.
- Recently, the Shipping Corporation of India Limited has been listed as the 14th Navratna company.
Other useful information -
- Defence Minister – Rajnath Singh
- Army Chief – General Manoj Pande
- Indian Army Day - 15 January
- Chief of Air Staff – Air Marshal VR Choudhary
- Air Force Day – 8 October
- Navy Chief – Admiral R Hari Kumar
- Navy Day - 4th December
- Chief of Defence Staff – General Anil Chauhan