Shares of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) declined on Thursday despite the Defence Ministry awarding the state-owned company a ₹770 crore contract for advanced low-level lightweight radars.
BEL shares were trading at around ₹363.50, falling ₹7.70, or 2.07%.
The contract covers improved low-level lightweight radars (LLLR-I), designed to strengthen the Indian Army's air defence capabilities against fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial systems.
Advanced Radar Systems To Strengthen Army Air Defence
According to the Ministry of Defence, the new radars can detect, track and prioritise fighter-sized aircraft and smaller drones operating at low altitudes.
Developed as an upgrade to the Aslesha radar, the LLLR-I incorporates technology designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Electronics and Radar Development Establishment.
Unlike the earlier system, which uses a semi-active antenna, the upgraded radar features four fixed phased-array panels based on gallium nitride technology.
Its active electronically scanned array configuration provides 360-degree surveillance without mechanical rotation.
Digital beam-forming and three-dimensional processing enable the system to identify small drones with limited radar visibility.
The portable radar can operate across plains, deserts and high-altitude locations while transmitting tracking information to weapon systems.
Such equipment addresses surveillance gaps at lower altitudes, where terrain and the earth's curvature restrict conventional long-range radar coverage.
The Army has sought systems capable of identifying targets with radar cross-sections as small as 0.001 square metre.
BEL Announces Additional Orders Worth ₹1,011 Crore
The procurement follows Operation Sindoor, during which Pakistani drone attacks targeted locations along India's western front.
Indian Army air defence units intercepted numerous drones during the four-day hostilities.
The Defence Ministry said the contract would advance indigenous defence manufacturing and support micro, small and medium enterprises.
Separately, BEL informed stock exchanges that it had received additional orders totalling ₹1,011 crore since Oct 13, 2026.
These orders cover improved lightweight radars, communication equipment, sonar systems, jammers, upgrades, spare parts and services.
