Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a Navratna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Esri India Technologies Private Limited on 3 August 2026 to develop advanced Geographic Information System (GIS), Location Intelligence and Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) solutions for the Indian defence sector. The pact, exchanged in Bengaluru, combines BEL’s expertise in defence electronics and systems integration with Esri India’s leadership in geospatial technology. As part of the collaboration, Esri India will train BEL personnel on its Indo ArcGIS platform so that the PSU can build its own in-house GIS and GeoAI capabilities.
What the MoU Covers
The agreement was exchanged between Rajnish Sharma, Director (Business Creation) and Additional Charge Director (Marketing) of BEL, and Agendra Kumar, Managing Director of Esri India, in the presence of senior officials from both organisations.
Under the MoU, the two companies will jointly pursue defence programmes by blending BEL’s strength in defence electronics and systems integration with Esri India’s capabilities in GIS, Location Intelligence and GeoAI. They have also committed to ensuring the timely availability and deployment of GIS solutions to meet urgent, surge-driven operational requirements across India’s defence initiatives. The pact builds on earlier projects that the two firms have already delivered for the Indian defence services, and it widens the scope of their cooperation in geospatial domains.
A central element of the collaboration is capability building. Esri India will extend training support to BEL to help the PSU develop in-house skills in GIS and GeoAI on the Indo ArcGIS platform. This is intended to make BEL self-sufficient in delivering mission-ready geospatial solutions rather than depending on external service providers.
Understanding the Key Technologies
GIS and Location Intelligence
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer-based system that captures, stores, analyses and displays data linked to specific locations on the Earth’s surface. It layers maps over databases so that information such as terrain, roads, troop positions, weather and infrastructure can be visualised and queried together on a single platform. Location Intelligence goes a step further and uses this spatial data to support decision-making, helping planners answer questions about where things are, why they are there, and what is likely to happen next.
In defence, GIS already supports intelligence gathering, terrain analysis, battlefield management, surveillance, logistics and infrastructure management. It gives commanders a common operational picture in which every unit works from the same geospatial reference, which is essential for coordinated planning and rapid response.
GeoAI
GeoAI, or Geospatial Artificial Intelligence, is the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to geospatial data. Where a human analyst would take days to compare satellite images or sensor feeds, GeoAI models can process the same volume of data in minutes, spotting patterns, detecting changes and flagging anomalies.
Practical defence uses include monitoring borders, scanning satellite imagery for new or altered structures, tracking the movement of vehicles or troops, assessing battlefield damage, planning disaster response and evaluating infrastructure. By combining AI with location data, GeoAI converts raw imagery and sensor feeds into actionable intelligence for commanders.
Bharat Electronics Limited: The Defence Electronics Backbone
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) was established in 1954 in Bengaluru to meet the specialised electronic needs of the Indian armed forces, and it remains one of the largest defence electronics companies in India. The company is a Navratna central public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Defence, a status that gives it greater financial and operational autonomy for capital expenditure and joint ventures.
BEL is a multi-product, multi-technology enterprise with a portfolio of more than 600 products, spanning communications systems, radar, sonars, electronic warfare systems, electro-optics, satellite communications, missile systems and strategic electronic components. It has also expanded into emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, mission-critical communications and unmanned systems. The Akash air defence weapon system is among the flagship programmes where BEL has demonstrated its indigenous design and manufacturing capability.
In recent years, BEL has been central to India’s defence indigenisation push, partnering with the private sector and research institutions to co-develop technology and raising its exports of radars and other equipment to international markets.
Esri India and the Indo ArcGIS Platform
Esri India Technologies Private Limited is the Indian subsidiary of Esri, the US-based company that is the global leader in GIS software. Esri India was established in 1996, is headquartered in Noida in the Delhi NCR region, and is the market leader in GIS software, Location Intelligence and mapping solutions in India. It has delivered enterprise GIS technology powered by ArcGIS, the world’s leading mapping and spatial analytics platform, to more than 6,500 organisations across government, the private sector, academia and non-profit institutions.
The company has engineered a distinctive offering called Indo ArcGIS for Indian customers. Powered by ArcGIS technology, it bundles ready-to-use solution products and India-specific data layers for areas such as land records, property tax management, forest management, disaster management, electrical utilities and more. The solution products and data layers are developed at Esri India’s own facilities in Noida and Panchkula, making them a home-grown geospatial offering that also supports national security requirements.
Under the new MoU, this Indo ArcGIS platform will be the basis for training BEL personnel, equipping the PSU with the skills to build and deploy its own GIS and GeoAI applications for defence.
Why This Partnership Matters
Atmanirbhar Bharat and Indigenous Geospatial Capability
The MoU is squarely aligned with the government’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. By combining a public sector defence electronics major with an Indian-headquartered GIS leader, the collaboration keeps the development of geospatial solutions within the country rather than relying on foreign vendors for sensitive military technology.
The training component is especially significant. When BEL builds its own in-house GIS and GeoAI skills, it reduces dependence on external providers and creates a domestic pool of expertise in geospatial intelligence. This is important not just for the PSU’s own programmes but also for the wider defence ecosystem, since geospatial tools support everything from mission planning to logistics and border surveillance.
India’s Wider Geospatial Push
The partnership also fits into India’s broader effort to build a strong geospatial economy. In 2021, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued guidelines that liberalised the acquisition, production and access to geospatial data, ending years of tight regulation. This was followed by the National Geospatial Policy, 2022, notified in December 2022, which seeks to make India a global leader in the geospatial sector, with a target of high-resolution topographical mapping and a highly accurate Digital Elevation Model by 2030. The policy has projected India’s geospatial economy to grow at over 12 per cent annually and cross ₹63,000 crore by 2025, while creating employment for more than 10 lakh people.
Notably, the National Geospatial Policy explicitly calls for developing secure and interoperable GIS applications for defence, including for the Tri-Services. The BEL-Esri India MoU is a direct response to that objective, bringing a leading public sector company into the defence geospatial space.
Analogy · GIS as a Battlefield Map Expand analogy
Think of GIS as the smart map on your phone, but for a theatre of war. Just as your phone shows your position, traffic and nearby cafés as layered live data, GIS layers troop positions, terrain, weather and satellite imagery for a commander. GeoAI adds a brain to that map, automatically flagging things the eye might miss, such as a convoy that has suddenly changed direction.
The Way Forward
The partnership is expected to accelerate the deployment of geospatial tools in India’s defence operations, giving commanders better situational awareness and faster decision-making. As artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded in defence ecosystems, the convergence of GIS and GeoAI will play a growing role in building resilient, mission-ready capabilities.
For BEL, the MoU adds a new technology vertical to its portfolio and strengthens its position as a systems integrator for the armed forces. For Esri India, it opens a dependable channel into the defence establishment and reinforces its standing in the indigenous geospatial market. The success of the collaboration will depend on how quickly BEL’s engineers absorb GeoAI skills through the Indo ArcGIS training and convert them into working defence systems, but the direction of travel is clear: geospatial intelligence is moving to the centre of India’s defence modernisation.
Key Takeaways
- Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Esri India Technologies Private Limited signed an MoU on 3 August 2026 to develop GIS, Location Intelligence and GeoAI solutions for the Indian defence sector.
- BEL is a Navratna central public sector enterprise established in 1954 under the Ministry of Defence, with a portfolio of over 600 products.
- Esri India was established in 1996, is headquartered in Noida, and is the market leader in GIS software, having served more than 6,500 organisations using the ArcGIS platform.
- The pact covers training for BEL personnel on Esri India’s Indo ArcGIS platform to build in-house GIS and GeoAI capabilities.
- The MoU aligns with the government’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives and supports the objectives of the National Geospatial Policy, 2022.
