India's BEL to invest in new electro-optics units

[Major Shaitan Singh]

State-owned Indian defence company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is planning to establish a new facility dedicated to developing and producing night-vision products, the company confirmed to IHS Jane's on 6 September.

The new BEL plant will be based in Nimmaluru in the eastern state of Andhra Pradesh and represents the latest in a series of investments that strengthen the company's core capabilities in defence electronics.

The plant is expected to be operational by the end of the decade and will cost around INR3 billion (USD45 million).

A ceremony to set the foundation stone was originally scheduled to be held in late August but this was delayed due to the unavailability of senior officials, a BEL official told IHS Jane's .


http://www.janes.com/article/63452/india-s-bel-to-invest-in-new-electro-optics-units

 

[PARIKRAMA]

Bharat Electronics to invest Rs 300 cr in advanced night vision devices plant
The new facility, which will be built near Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, will enable BEL to expand its electro-optics business
Rakesh Rao | Mumbai
August 26, 2016 Last Updated at 16:33 IST


The Bangalore-based Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) is setting up the country’s largest manufacturing facility for advanced night vision products at Nimmaluru village, near Machilipatnam in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. The new facility, which is about 16 km from the existing unit of BEL at Machilipatnam, will be built in stages over four years and incur an estimated investment of about Rs 300 crores.

S K Sharma, chairman and managing director, BEL, said, “Bharat Electronics has been continuously engaged in design, development and manufacturing of electro optics equipment and night vision products for defence and paramilitary forces. The new facility has been planned now to establish a state-of-the-art factory to cater to the futuristic requirements for night vision products."

In order to support the government's Make in India initiative, BEL is extending its support to start up companies and MSMEs through procurement of specific items from them.

Sharma added, "To achieve self-reliance in defence there is a need for establishing world-class manufacturing facilities. BEL is coming up with a modern defence systems integration complex at Palasamudram in Ananthapur district of Andhra Pradesh to give further thrust to indigenous development and production of future defence systems."

As part of diversification and business growth, BEL is looking for major expansion into high-end image intensifier tubes & thermal imaging detectors for night vision products, inertial navigation systems, electronic ammunition fuses, air traffic management radars, intelligent traffic management systems and solar power plants.

The new advanced night vision devices facility at Nimmaluru will enable BEL to expand its electro-optics business and carry out manufacturing and integration for the ongoing and upcoming projects. It will have latest technology and infrastructure such as modern optics workshops, clean rooms of the high standards, facility for thin film coating with high durability and other modern SPDT and CNC machines.

http://www.business-standard.com/co...ight-vision-devices-plant-116082600723_1.html

 

[Agent_47]

A step in right direction, We are too dependent on Israel in this regard.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

I home BEL starts investing or buys an Semi Conductor industry in some foreign lands. Semi Conductors is something we are lagging too backwards. Its time they start commercial operations like Foxconn and Flex.

 

[wiseone2]

I home BEL starts investing or buys an Semi Conductor industry in some foreign lands. Semi Conductors is something we are lagging too backwards. Its time they start commercial operations like Foxconn and Flex.

IC fabrication is too complex for likes of BEL. You are better off luring private firms here

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

IC fabrication is too complex for likes of BEL. You are better off luring private firms here

Not needed to start from scratch. Buy some struggling firms. If I remember correctly Foxconn Chennai was closed for sometime. They should have bought Foxconn and started some electronics commercial manufacturing activity. Independence is needed to be given to group's CEO. China's state run companies started like BHEL/BEL and evolved into corporates we know now.

 

[wiseone2]

I never knew Foxconn made semiconductors. they assemble high volume electronic products. assembling electronic products in low volume is not hard. it has its challenges.

 

[Skull and Bones]

I home BEL starts investing or buys an Semi Conductor industry in some foreign lands. Semi Conductors is something we are lagging too backwards. Its time they start commercial operations like Foxconn and Flex.

Seriously, you're asking a PSU to acquire a fab facility?

 

[el che]

How good are the lakhs of electronic engineers from various engineering colleges? With so many electronic engineering graduates, India should have seen a boom in electronics.

 

[wiseone2]

Seriously, you're asking a PSU to acquire a fab facility?

managing a fab which cost hundreds of millions is tricky proposition for even the best private companies
asking a PSU - good luck with that