Rajnath Singh inaugurates Missile Integration facility at BEL

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday visited the Bharat Electronics Ltd in Bengaluru, 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 for making headway in cutting-edge technologies such as electronic warfare systems, avionics, naval platforms, electro-optics, and tank electronics. 
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 , Light Combat Aircraft Mark II , Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft , Project Kusha , 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.
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.