BEML has secured a Rs 184.25 crore contract from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture and supply fuselage aerostructures for the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand programme. The five-year order is among the significant contracts for BEML’s aerospace business and is expected to further strengthen its role in India’s growing indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem.

The contract, disclosed by BEML through a regulatory filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) under Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 2015, will be executed over a period of five years. The company said the order has been received in the normal course of business.

Under the agreement, BEML will undertake the manufacture and supply of fuselage aerostructures for HAL’s LCH Prachand. The fuselage forms the helicopter’s primary structural body and accommodates critical equipment and mission-related systems. Its production requires high-precision manufacturing and adherence to stringent standards for quality, reliability and performance.

The contract was formally signed by RGK Rao, Head—Aerospace & Maritime, BEML, and TR Behera, General Manager, HAL Helicopter Division, in the presence of senior officials from both companies.

Defence power as the fifth ‘Shakti’ in PM Modi’s vision

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation from the Red Fort on India’s 80th Independence Day, identified defence power as the fifth “Shakti” in his “Shakti Ki Saptadhara” vision. He called for greater self-reliance in the defence sector and urged India to emerge not just as a buyer of military equipment but as a global supplier and a leader in next-generation technologies, including hypersonic systems.

Reiterating the government’s push for an Aatmanirbhar defence ecosystem, PM said India could not afford to remain merely a market for other countries and must build the capabilities to supply advanced defence technologies to the world.

“The fifth strength of the Saptadhara is defence power. It is important for us to become self-reliant in defence. When the world is thinking about itself, India cannot remain merely a market for the world. We have to become global suppliers. We have to take leadership in hypersonic defence technologies,” PM Modi said, signalling a strategic shift towards indigenous development, exports and technological leadership in high-end defence domains.

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Mysuru complex to execute final work

BEML’s Mysuru Complex will undertake the programme as the facility is equipped with aerospace manufacturing infrastructure and specialised capabilities for producing high-precision aerostructures. The company has previously delivered similar aerostructures for HAL helicopters. BEML said the new programme builds on that experience while expanding its role in the manufacture of high-value, mission-critical aerospace systems.

The order is expected to further develop BEML’s capabilities in precision aerostructure manufacturing and support the broader objective of strengthening India’s domestic defence-production ecosystem under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Important milestone for aerospace business

Shantanu Roy, Chairman and Managing Director of BEML, described the LCH programme as a significant step in the company’s expanding aerospace operations.

“The LCH Prachand programme marks an important milestone in BEML’s expanding aerospace journey. We value HAL’s continued trust in our engineering and manufacturing capabilities and remain committed to delivering high-quality aerostructures while strengthening India’s indigenous aerospace ecosystem and the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

BEML said the contract reinforces its focus on advanced manufacturing for defence and aerospace applications. It also deepens cooperation between two major public-sector defence companies involved in the development and production of indigenous military platforms.

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BEML’s diversified operations

BEML is a multi-technology Schedule A public-sector company under the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Its operations are organised across three principal business verticals:

  • Defence and aerospace
  • Mining and construction
  • Rail and metro

The HAL contract adds to the company’s defence order pipeline at a time when India is increasing its focus on domestic production of military equipment, components and aerospace systems.

The order announcement came alongside BEML’s latest reported financial performance. The company’s consolidated net profit declined 37.46% year on year to Rs 179.82 crore in the fourth quarter of FY26, compared with Rs 287.55 crore in Q4 FY25.

Despite the decline in profit, revenue from operations rose 8.57% year on year to Rs 1,794.17 crore during the quarter. The contrasting performance indicates that higher revenue did not translate into corresponding profit growth during the period.

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BEML’s shares gained 1.03% to close at Rs 1,904.35 on the BSE following the defence order announcement. The market response reflected investor attention toward the company’s defence-related business and its growing participation in India’s aerospace manufacturing value chain.