Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the public sector unit based at Machilipatnam, under the Ministry of Defence, is registering growing overseas business, what with several Asian and African countries lining up for the opto-electronic defence devices, developed and manufactured by it.
Rs. 600-cr. turnover
“Of the targeted Rs. 600-crore turnover for the financial year 2014-15, nearly Rs. 450 to Rs. 500 crore has been achieved so far. The remaining is expected to be achieved by March-end, given the demand for our products,” BEL, Machilipatnam unit, Assistant Engineer (Marketing) M. D. Khaja told The Hindu .
During the financial year 2013-14, the unit here had registered a record turnover of Rs. 450 crore with countries such as Sri Lanka, Sudan, Israel and a few other African nations being the major buyers of opto-electronic products. “The demand for night vision devices such as Passive Night Weapon Sight for INSAS/LMG/AK-47 weapons and Passive Night Vision Binoculars is high in these conflict-stricken countries,” said Mr. Khaja.
Mr. Khaja, who demonstrated the functioning of opto-electronic products to former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and the Sri Lankan Army during the LTTE conflict, explained that the devices mainly helped the user calculate and target enemy objects from a certain distance.
DRDO’s role
“The Defence Research and Development Organisation will help us in developing new devices and adaptation of new technologies required to meet the needs of the Indian defence,” he added
Mr. Khaja said the International Marketing Division of the BEL based in Bangalore was entitled for the overseas marketing of the products. In 1983, Andhra Scientific Company, Machilipatnam, was taken over by BEL as its fourth manufacturing unit in India.
Devices manufactured by the public sector outfit’s Masula unit sought after in Asian,
African nations
