BEL to set up lab on futuristic tech in Electronic Warfare

Chairman and Managing Director of BEL Ashwani Kumar Datt said the centre would initially house 20 scientists. The subject of research will be electro-optics, he added.

"The lab will address both electronic warfare and electro-optics," Datt told reporters after addressing the inaugural function of an international conference on electronic warfare.

Currently, BEL has a EW business of around Rs 700 crore to Rs 800 crore annually, a figure expected to double in two years. "We are preparing the organisation and partner organisations both in the private and public sectors to support this type of growth in volumes."

"800 people in BEL are working on electronic warfare projects," Datt said. BEL aspires to be a big player in offering nuclear power instrumentation solutions as it was already doing "something similar" and "it's an area where we have a lot of competence", he said.

BEL is already in discussions with Nuclear Power Corporation India Ltd to offer electronic instrumentation for power stations. "We are also trying to have discussions with all foreign companies who are going to be in nuclear power business in India," Datt said.