New Delhi, August 2026.

Esri India, the market leader in Geographic Information System (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping solutions in India, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Defence, to collaborate on defence projects and programs involving GIS, Location Intelligence and GeoAI.

BEL and Esri India have already delivered projects for the Indian defence services. This MoU will further strengthen the collaboration.

Under the MoU, Esri India and BEL will jointlypursue opportunities in the defence sector by combining BEL's deep domain expertise in defence electronics and systems integration with Esri India's GIS, location intelligence and GeoAI capabilities. The two organisations will also work together to ensure the timely availability and deployment of GIS solutions to meet urgent, surge-driven operational requirements across India’s defenceinitiatives.Esri India will also extend training support to BEL to help them build in-house capability in GIS and GeoAI on its ‘Indo ArcGIS’ platform.

Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India, said, "Geospatial intelligence has evolved from being a support capability to becoming a strategic decision advantage in defence, enabling commanders to see, analyse and respond with greater speed and precision. As AI becomes deeply integrated into defence ecosystems, the convergence of GIS and GeoAI will play an increasingly critical role in building resilient, mission-ready capabilities. Our collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited is an important step towards advancing indigenous geospatial innovation, strengthening national capability and equipping India's defence services with trusted, future-ready location intelligence and operational support aligned with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat."

The MoU is aligned with the Government of India's 'Make in India' initiative, with both organisations committing to leverage indigenous capability and technology-sharing to serve the requirements of India's defence establishment.

Rajnish Sharma, Director (BC) & Addl. Charge Director (Mktg), Bharat Electronics Limited, said,“Bharat Electronics Limited has always focused on delivering advanced indigenous technologies for national security. Our partnership with Esri India brings together BEL's expertise in defence systems and Esri India's leadership in GIS, enabling us to develop next-generation geospatial solutions that empower defence forces with actionable intelligence, improved operational coordination, and superior situational awareness."