New Delhi

TheMinistry of Defence has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to procure Improved Low-Level Lightweight Radar (LLLR-I) at a cost of approximately Rs 770 crore to boost the air defence capability of the Indian Army.

The LLLR(I) system has the capability of detecting and tracking fighter jet-sized targets as well as mini and micro drones. It has the additional capability of prioritising aerial targets. This will enable the Army to successfully counter the threat of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), the statement said.

The contract with the defence PSU was signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

Aligning with the government’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, the procurement is a significant step towards indigenisation of air defence platforms with a boost to India’s Defence manufacturing ecosystem, including Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and building a resilient, self-reliant and globally competitive defence industry, the statement added.

India’s defence sector has undergone a transformational change over the past decade to emerge as a stronger, more self-reliant and globally credible force, with the country’s production of military hardware recording an over fourfold increase to touch Rs 1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26 compared with a mere Rs 4, 746 crore in FY 2013-14, according to official figures.

While production from public-sector entities accounted for 76 per cent of this output, the private sector contributed the remaining 24 per cent.

Defence exports rose from a mere Rs 686 crore in FY2013–14 to Rs 38,424 crore in FY2025–26, with the country’s military hardware finding markets in over 80 countries.

The private sector contributed Rs 17,353 crore or 45.16 per cent of total defence exports in FY2025–26, while Defence Public Sector Undertakings contributed Rs 21,071 crore or 54.84 per cent.

The Government has fixed targets of Rs 3 lakh crore for annual defence production and Rs 50,000 crore in exports by 2029.

The R&D allocation for the defence sector rose from Rs 13,716.14 crore in 2014–15 to Rs 29,100.25 crore in 2026–27, which represents an increase of over 112 per cent.

Since 2022–23, 25 per cent of the defence R&D budget has also been opened to industry, start-ups and academia in order to accelerate innovation and modernise defence production.