Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Thales announce that the Ministry  of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, has approved the incorporation of their  joint venture company, BEL-THALES Systems Limited, in late August this year.  This joint venture (JV) Company will primarily focus on the design, development,  marketing, supply and support of civilian and select defence radars for India and the global markets. The first board meeting of BEL-THALES Systems Limited took place  on Friday 26 September.

BEL holds a 74 % stake while Thales holds 26% of the equity in the JV Company. The initial product portfolio of BEL-THALES Systems Limited will comprise innovative  solutions for air surveillance, including Air Traffic Management radars, and select  ground-based military radars. The ultimate objective of the JV is to expand its scope  in other fields than radars, in the defence electronics domain.

BEL-THALES Systems will seek to work closely with Government laboratories and the Indian industry and will consequently become a decisive contributor for innovation in  various fields of defence electronics.

Expressing his confidence in this JV, S. K. Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director  of BEL, said, "We have always valued our partnership with Thales. We are confident  that our JV Company will benefit from the significant technology transfers and  support from Thales, and from the extensive industrial and design skills of BEL."

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