Defence Ministry signs ₹1,950-crore deal with BEL for indigenous mountain radars

In a major step to enhance air defence capabilities, the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday (March 31, 2026) signed a ₹1,950-crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of two mountain radars for the Air Force.

According to the Ministry, the contract was signed in New Delhi under the Buy (Indian–Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category. It was formalised in the presence of senior officials from the Ministry and BEL.

The Mountain Radar systems have been indigenously designed and developed by the Electronics & Radar Development Establishment under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and will be manufactured by BEL. These radars are specifically suited for deployment in high-altitude and mountainous terrain, significantly enhancing surveillance and detection capabilities along sensitive borders, it added.

Officials said the installation and commissioning of the systems would strengthen India’s air defence network and improve operational preparedness of the Air Force.

The procurement aligns with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives, and is expected to reduce dependence on foreign-origin defence equipment while boosting domestic defence manufacturing capabilities, the Ministry said.

On March 27, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth about ₹2.38 lakh crore.

The approvals include air defence tracked systems, armour-piercing tank ammunition, high-capacity radio relay systems, the Dhanush Gun System and runway-independent aerial surveillance systems. These systems are aimed at strengthening real-time air defence control, improving secure communication, boosting long-range artillery firepower and enhancing battlefield surveillance and anti-tank lethality.