By Invitation | Director, marketing, Bharat Electronics Limited, Anandi Ramalingam

What are your plans on increasing BEL’s exports? How do you plan to increase your global presence?

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is fast expanding its global presence, putting its best foot forward to give a thrust to exports worldwide. All-out efforts are being made to tap new markets across the globe. In a bid to develop new markets in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), BEL has operationalised overseas marketing offices in Oman, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. BEL has also expanded its Singapore and New York regional offices to handle marketing activities. BEL is also thinking of establishing similar offices in Nigeria, Brazil, Armenia and Kazakhstan.

The government is encouraging defence exports through many policy initiatives and has set a target of Rs 35,000 crores by 2024-25. BEL has identified exports and offsets as one of its thrust areas and has drawn up plans to offer its select products and systems to various export markets. The company has put in efforts for  increasing  its business  opportunities  in  South  East  Asia,  Europe,  Middle  East,  Africa  and  North  America  through constant engagement with customers and is also working closely with other Indian companies and local partners in the respective countries as part of maximising its geo-strategic reach and increase its global footprint.

What are the products that you export and to which all countries do you export?

BEL has been exporting products such as communication systems, coastal surveillance system, missile systems, radars, electronic warfare systems, electro optic systems and electro optic fire control systems, radar finger printing system, naval systems, radar warning receivers, electronic voting machines and various other equipment to the US, UK, Russia, Italy, Brazil, Germany, France, Israel, Indonesia, Honduras, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa and many other friendly countries. BEL achieved export sales of USD 48.59 million during FY 2019-20.

Some of the other products and systems which are being promoted for exports include homeland security solutions, smart city solutions, border protection systems and Coastal Surveillance System (CSS). Having established a CSS for a few neighbouring countries, BEL is interacting with ministry of external affairs (MEA) for supply of CSS to other friendly countries.

Recently, the government approved the export of the indigenously developed Akash Missile System to friendly foreign countries.

How do you plan to tap the offset clause for expo