Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates Missile Integration facility at BEL
Bengaluru (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday visited the Bharat Electronics Ltd here, and inaugurated the Missile Integration facility at the premises, officials said.
He also flagged-off the Akash 3rd and 4th Regiment Combat systems and unveiled the Mountain Fire Control Radar, they said.
Singh also remotely inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (CoE-AI) located in Pune, and formally launched the company’s AI Policy.
According to an official statement, the Union Minister was briefed on a range of advanced indigenous defence technologies, including AI-based solutions developed by Indian start-ups, highlighting the growing emphasis on innovation and indigenisation in the defence ecosystem.
He commended BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited) for making headway in cutting-edge technologies such as electronic warfare systems, avionics, naval platforms, electro-optics, and tank electronics.
“BEL has strengthened the network-centric operations. Its integrated systems, real-time data sharing, and decision support capabilities have taken our combat effectiveness to a new level,” Singh said.
The Defence Minister was apprised of the ongoing R&D activities at BEL aligned with major national defence programmes, including the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile Systems (QRSAM), Light Combat Aircraft Mark II (LCA Mk II), Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), Project Kusha (MR SAM/LR SAM), Counter Drone Systems, Naval Weapon Control Systems, etc.
The briefing highlighted that indigenous R&D initiatives are enhancing operational preparedness across land, air, naval, and strategic domains, while reducing dependence on foreign technologies.
Singh acknowledged the fact that the systems developed in airspace defence, and counter-drone operations have demonstrated that India’s indigenous solutions can meet global standards.
According to him, indigenously developed air defence and anti-drone systems were effectively utilised to neutralise threats during Operation Sindoor.
“The advancement in threat prediction, early warning, and response mechanisms using AI instills operational confidence in our soldiers. They’re assured that a strong scientific and engineering ecosystem always stands with them,” he added.
Singh underscored the importance of achieving victory with indigenous weapons and technologies in today’s times, saying that only a self-reliant win gives the country renewed confidence.
The defence minister stressed that AI and quantum computing are no longer futuristic concepts, and their use in real-time decision-making, autonomous systems, cyber defence, and precision operations is changing battlefield dynamics.
For India to become a developed nation, he exhorted BEL, other DPSUs and industry partners to stay ahead of the curve in the new revolution that lies ahead.
He encouraged the R&D community at BEL to collaborate with start-ups, industry, and academia for agile product development using the latest technologies in AI and autonomous systems.
Singh also stressed upon the need for BEL to prioritise cross-disciplinary collaboration, innovation, and rapid prototyping to create world-class products, aligning with the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat'.
"Indigenisation initiatives undertaken by Central Research Laboratories, CoE-Electronics Warfare and Photonics, CoE-Communication, CoE-Radar and Weapon Systems and Product Development and Innovation Centre of BEL were showcased during the briefing. The start-ups and industry partners also exhibited their products," the statement said.
Singh also interacted with start-ups and young scientists and motivated them to come out with more and more advanced Indigenous technologies.
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Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
