DRDO, HAL & Defence Orgs — Set 2

Correct Answer: B. Electronic warfare systems, radars, and communication equipment

BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited), headquartered in Bangalore, is India's premier defence electronics company, a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Defence. BEL manufactures strategic electronic systems, radars (Rohini, Arudhra, Revathi), electronic warfare systems, communication equipment, sonars, and satellite communication systems. BEL has 9 manufacturing units across India. Major products include the Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), Active Phased Array Radar (APAR), and naval combat management systems. BEL plays a crucial role in India's network-centric warfare capabilities.

Correct Answer: C. Air defence for detecting low-flying aircraft and UAVs

Arudhra is a medium power radar developed by DRDO and manufactured by BEL for air defence applications. It is a 3D Central Acquisition Radar with a range of over 350 km, designed to detect low-flying aircraft, cruise missiles, and UAVs. Arudhra uses advanced AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) technology. It can simultaneously track multiple targets and guide interceptor missiles. The radar was inducted into the Indian Air Force and is also being exported.

Correct Answer: C. Hyderabad

BDL (Bharat Dynamics Limited) is headquartered at Hyderabad, Telangana. It is a defence PSU (Mini-Ratna) under the Ministry of Defence, specialising in the production of missiles and allied defence equipment. BDL manufactures the Akash surface-to-air missile, NAG anti-tank guided missile, Konkurs anti-tank missile, Invar anti-tank missile, and NG-ARM (Anti-Radiation Missile). BDL also produces torpedo decoys and underwater weapons. BDL has manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad, Bhanur (Telangana), and Amravati (Maharashtra).

Correct Answer: B. DRDO

NAG (Nag, meaning King Cobra) is an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) developed by DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). NAG uses infrared imaging seeker (IIR) for fire-and-forget capability. The helicopter-launched version is called HELINA (Helicopter-Launched NAG) or Dhruvastra. NAG is produced by BDL (Bharat Dynamics Limited). The MPATGM (Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile), a lighter variant, is also under development. NAG has a range of 4-7 km for the land version.

Correct Answer: B. Military trucks, mine-protected vehicles, and armoured vehicles

BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited), headquartered in Bangalore, manufactures heavy defence equipment including military trucks (TATRA high-mobility vehicles), mine-protected vehicles, low-bed trailers (for tank transport), and armoured personnel carriers (APCs). BEML also produces railway coaches, metro cars, and earth-moving equipment for civil use. BEML's products are critical for military logistics, road construction, and infrastructure. It is a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Defence with manufacturing facilities in Bangalore, Mysore, Kolar, and Palakkad.

Correct Answer: B. Special alloys, superalloys, and titanium alloys for aerospace and defence

MIDHANI (Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited), located in Hyderabad, specialises in producing high-performance materials including special alloys, superalloys, and titanium alloys critical for aerospace and defence applications. MIDHANI materials are used in Tejas aircraft, Agni missiles, space launch vehicles (ISRO), and naval ships. Products include titanium alloys for submarine hull, nickel superalloys for aero-engines, and maraging steel for missile casings. MIDHANI is under the Ministry of Defence and was upgraded to Miniratna status.

Correct Answer: B. 7 new Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs)

The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), which managed 41 ordnance factories, was dissolved in October 2021 as part of defence sector reforms. It was replaced by 7 new Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs): MIL (Munitions India), AL (Armoured Vehicles Nigam), AEL (Advanced Weapons and Equipment India), YANL (Yantra India Limited), TRKL (Troop Comforts Limited), GLIDERS (Gliders India Limited), and IL (India Optel Limited). These corporatised entities aim to improve efficiency and accountability while retaining government ownership.

Correct Answer: D. 100%

In 2020, India raised the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) limit in the defence manufacturing sector to 100% through the automatic route (previously it was 49% automatic and 100% through government approval). This was part of the Defence Acquisition Policy (DAP) 2020 reforms. The liberalisation was aimed at attracting global defence manufacturers to set up production in India, promote Make in India in defence, and reduce import dependence. Several major global defence companies have since expressed interest in partnering with Indian firms.

Correct Answer: C. Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu

India has established two Defence Industrial Corridors — one in Uttar Pradesh (UP Defence Corridor, running through Lucknow-Kanpur-Agra-Aligarh-Jhansi-Chitrakoot nodes) and one in Tamil Nadu (Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor, with nodes at Chennai-Hosur-Coimbatore-Salem-Tiruchirappalli). Both corridors are designed to attract defence manufacturing investments, develop an ecosystem of MSMEs and large industries, and reduce dependence on imports. UP corridor has received over Rs 50,000 crore in investments.

Correct Answer: B. A framework to engage startups and innovators for defence technology development

iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) was launched in 2018 under the Ministry of Defence to engage startups, MSMEs, innovators, and academia in developing defence and aerospace technology. The programme provides funding up to Rs 1.5 crore (now Rs 10 crore under iDEX Prime) to individual innovators and startups to develop defence prototypes. The Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) is part of iDEX. By 2024, iDEX has supported over 300+ challenges and funded 100+ innovators, creating a vibrant defence startup ecosystem.