Bharat Electronics Limited working towards Digital India initiative announced that soon there would be a single national common mobility card (NCMC) (much like our debit/credit card) that can be used as a single card for transport across India. BEL with CDAC is getting into manufacturing gates for Metro, that supports the common mobility card with which one can access to all Metros across India.
“Today the fare collection gates at the metros are closed loop, they detect cards issued by that metro station only and are imported. BEL will be installing open loop gates that allow a Delhi metro cardholder to use the same card at Bangalore and Kochi too”, said Shri M V Gowtama, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Bharat Electronics Ltd at the Annual Press Conference hosted by BEL on 1st June 2019 at Bangalore.
“This year we will get the certification for this and once this card comes into the role, Master and Visa will become redundant. State Bank of India and all Nationalised banks are on board with this plan and this will not only reduce the entire processing fee but also make the process indigenous as all the processing will happen within India”, adds Shri M V Gowtama.
To start off with, BEL will be installing a couple of gates at the metro stations and then the same principle is going to be applied for portable toll collection for road, bus and other means of transports. If one wants to travel by any means across India, he/she can do it with a single card.
In addition to this interesting initiative, the CMD also briefed about a couple of other ventures that BEL has been working on and is looking forward to this upcoming year.
Space Electronics Division
With around 30 acres of land acquired near Devanahalli, Bangalore, BEL plans to build a new Space Electronic Division with ISRO. “We have manufactured a complete satellite for remote earth monitoring system and sent to ISRO and our engineers have worked closely with ISRO scientists and now we are confident of developing more satellites”, said the CMD, Shri MV Gowtama.
Smart Cities Development
With Government of India announcing to develop up to 100 smart cities across, BEL plays an important role in creating decent living conditions across a few of these smart city projects.
“BEL has taken up smart city projects for Belgaum, Agra, Gangtok and many more cities where we develop intelligent smart traffic management systems and solar power lighting systems”, said Shri MV Gowtama.
Make in India Initiatives
With BEL moving towards indigenizing all its products, 96 percent (provisional) of sales revenue accrued for BEL are from Indigenous technologies. BEL has on-boarded on TReDS platform and MSME Sambandh and portals complying t government guidelines. BEL is meeting the public procurement policy and has been awarded second runner up (Navaratna Category) for Exemplary work under public procurement policy for SC/ST Entrepreneurs. BEL also provides its test facilities to private vendors.
EVMs and new products
“BEL has supplied 74 per cent of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPAT to Central Election Commission in the recent Lok Sabha elections”, says Shri M V Gowtama
In addition to this BEL has also introduced new products and systems like real-time Information system for Indian railways, auto fare collection gate (SWAGAT), drone guard system, executive order system for homeland security, integrated communication system for Indian Navy, coastal surveillance system for Seychelles, fire control system, image intensifier based passive night vision devices, indigenous electronic upgrade for 52 calibre gun, corner shot weapon system, target acquisition system for man-portable anti-tank guided missile. IFF system for MRSAM phase II, virtual reality simulator, electric motor for T-90 tank stabilizer, batter multi-function radar vehicle and battery surveillance radar vehicle for missile system and Ku band RF seeker.
R&D Ventures
The major R&D initiatives taken by BEL were to support to Defence Research Development Laboratory (DRDL) for successful test firing of indigenously developed QRSAM, unveiling of atmospheric water Generator, contribution towards the development and installation of indigenously developed auto fare collection system (SWAGAT) for Delhi metro and replacement of existing Russian Mine Hunting Sonar On-board Submarines.
Manufacturing Initiatives
BEL has established state-of-the-art manufacturing/Test Facilities such as Shock Test Facility, High-Temperature Test facility and Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Assembly Line.
HR Initiatives
BEL has started a web-based M.Tech & Certification programs in collaboration with IIT Madras and launched a People Capability Maturity Model (PCMM) Gap Assessment. BEL also provides internships to postgraduates and research students.
Roadmap for the Future
“BEL will continue to focus on in-house R&D for increased value addition, said. The thrust will be on Exports by expanding geo-spatial reach and partnerships. Diversification in non-defense opportunities will drive BEL’s growth. The focus areas will be Space Electronics, Solar, Homeland Security, Smart Cards, Telecom, Railways, Civil Aviation, Software as a Service, Fuel Cells, Li-ion Batteries, etc”, said the CMD, Shri MV Gowtama.
Other future plans of BEL included the creation of Centres of Excellence (CoE) in R&D & Innovation Cell in IITM, operationalisation of new plants at Nimmaluru for advanced Electro-Optics and Anantapur for Missile & Seeker businesses, focus on Artificial Intelligence-based projects and Indigenisation, and several initiatives for comprehensive competency/capability building.
With all these initiatives kickstarted, we hope to see a better and completely Indigenous India soon.
