BHEL and Axiscades Strengthen India's Defence Manufacturing Push
This marks a significant step toward India’s push for self-reliance in critical defence technology and manufacturing
BHEL has signed a License Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) with DRDO’s Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) in Hyderabad, empowering the state-run firm to manufacture fused silica radar domes domestically. These radar domes are critical for seeker-based missile guidance systems and are to be made using Cold Isostatic Pressing and Sintering techniques—previously deployed only by foreign suppliers.
The announcement sparked a favorable market reaction: BHEL shares climbed over 2%, trading as high as ₹213 on the BSE. Despite a prior slide—falling 9% year-to-date and 27% over the past year—this new technology deal appears to have restored investor optimism.
Axiscades Bags Major Orders Fueling Indigenous Electronics Surge
Meanwhile, Axiscades Technologies, through its defence subsidiary Mistral Solutions Pvt. Ltd., revealed a flurry of deals worth approximately ₹600 crore, spanning airborne, naval, and radar systems development and production. The contracts—awarded by DRDO, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and other defence agencies—focus on critical components for India’s self-reliance in defence technology.
Notably, a DRDO subsidiary, LRDE, entrusted Axiscades with a development and follow-on production contract totaling ₹124 crore for the Exciter and Receiver unit of the Virupaksh Radar, which is used in the Su-30MKI fighter jet upgrade.
Additional high-value orders include a ₹150 crore production deal under BEL’s KUSHA project for Digital Beam Forming Units in Long Range Battle Management Radar, a ₹200 crore production contract for Digital Transmit and Receive Modules in surveillance radars, and a ₹150 crore production order for S-Band Octal Transmit/Receive Modules. The company also secured a ₹60 crore naval SONAR subsystem production contract for submarine platforms.
These contracts, spanning development through multi-year production, highlight Axiscades’ growing role in bolstering domestic electronics and defence manufacturing. Adding to its defence portfolio, Axiscades has also secured a ₹223.95 crore deal from the Indian Army to supply 212 advanced 50-ton tank transporter trailers under the ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’ initiative.