New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on February 24 reviewed the performance of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and Defence Public Sector Undertakings – Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in New Delhi, with officials of these undertakings giving a presentation of their ongoing and future projects to the Minister and senior officials of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence.
Expressing satisfaction at the overall achievements of OFB and these DPSUs, Singh urged them to strive further to increase their competitiveness in the global market. Lauding the indigenisation efforts, he called upon the officials to identify more ‘Make in India’ avenues and help in making India self-reliant in defence production.
The Minister urged the officials to explore new modes of business models focussing on increased defence exports. He expressed hope that the DPSUs will play a pivotal role in making India a global manufacturing hub as well as net exporter.
The OFB with headquarters in Kolkata has filed 246 Intellectual Property Rights applications. Forty-two R&D Centres with specific technological domains have been set up with project-based collaborations with IITs/IISc/NITs. Development of futuristic technologies with Indian private industries through iDex platform is one of the focus areas of OFB.
The HAL has achieved operational clearance on seven platforms Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), Advanced Light Helicopter -Weapon System Integrated named as Rudra, 19-seater Do-228 civil Aircraft, Jaguar Darin III and the Mirage Upgrade.
The BEL has successfully implemented projects of strategic importance such as Weapon Locating Radar for the Indian Army, Akash Missile System, Coastal Surveillance System for the Coast Guard.
The BDL has grown into a multi-product, multi-customer, multi-located enterprise producing defence equipment meeting international quality standards. The BDL is the lead Integrator of the Akash Weapon System (AWS).
It signed contract worth Rs 1,188 crore for supply of Varunastra or the Heavy Weight Torpedo to the Indian Navy.
The BEML through ‘Make in India’ initiative for the first time has designed and developed biggest eco-friendly Electrical Excavator of 180 tonne capacity, Biggest Electric drive dump trucks of 150 tonne and 190 tonne capacity, which serve as import substitution and help promote the cause of green mining and would save foreign exchange.
The BEML gave major thrust to self-reliance and achieved indigenisation levels of over 90 per cent in the mainline mining and construction products, Rail Coaches & EMUs, over 80 per cent in High Mobility Vehicles (HMV) and over 65 per cent in Metro cars. BEML is also working towards ‘ZERO IMPORT’ policy of Government to reach higher levels of indigenisation.
