Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh Inaugurates Missile Integration Facility at BEL Bengaluru, Flags-off Akash Regiments, and Launches AI Centre of Excellence in Pune

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated BEL’s Missile Integration facility in Bengaluru, flagged-off Akash 3rd and 4th Regiment Combat systems, unveiled Mountain Fire Control Radar, and remotely launched BEL’s AI Centre of Excellence

Bengaluru| 16 February 2026:Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh visited Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru on February 16, 2026, inaugurating the Missile Integration facility, flagging-off the Akash 3rd and 4th Regiment Combat systems, and unveiling the Mountain Fire Control Radar. He also remotely inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (CoE-AI) in Pune and formally launched BEL’s AI Policy.

During the visit, Shri Rajnath Singh was briefed on advanced indigenous defence technologies, including AI-based solutions by Indian start-ups. He commended BEL for its progress in electronic warfare systems, avionics, naval platforms, electro-optics, and tank electronics, highlighting how integrated systems and real-time data sharing enhance combat effectiveness.

The Raksha Mantri noted that India’s indigenous air defence and anti-drone systems were successfully deployed during Operation Sindoor, emphasizing that AI-enabled threat prediction and early response mechanisms instill confidence among soldiers. He encouraged BEL, DPSUs, and industry partners to remain at the forefront of AI, quantum computing, autonomous systems, and precision operations to drive India’s vision of a Viksit Bharat. BEL’s cross-disciplinary R&D, collaboration with start-ups, and rapid prototyping initiatives were also showcased. Shri Rajnath Singh interacted with young scientists and start-ups, motivating them to develop advanced indigenous technologies.

Senior officials including Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Additional Secretary & DG (Acquisition) Shri A Anbarasu, and BEL CMD Shri Manoj Jain were present.

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