New Delhi: Hari Kumar R has taken charge as Director (Research & Development) on the Board of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) with effect from May 2. A veteran of the defence electronics sector, Kumar steps into the role after serving as General Manager (Technology Planning) at the Navratna PSU.
With more than three decades of experience at BEL, Kumar has led several key innovations in communication and radar technologies. He began his journey with the organisation in 1989 as a Probationary Engineer, shortly after earning his B Tech in Electronics & Communication from the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram.
Over the years, he has been deeply involved in Development and Engineering functions, driving advancements in design and manufacturing processes. Notably, he was part of the team that developed India’s first 65-Kelvin C-band and Extended-C-band Low Noise Amplifiers, which were deployed in Satcom earth stations by VSNL and Doordarshan. He has also led projects on GaN-based transmitters and C-Band Quad Transmit-Receive Modules for phased array radars.
In 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kumar headed BEL’s initiative to achieve ISO 13485:2016 Medical Standard certification in just 45 days. Under his leadership, the company completed third-party evaluation of its ICU Ventilator System and conducted pre-dispatch inspections for 30,000 ventilators and over 1.5 lakh sub-systems within a span of three and a half months.
Between 2020 and 2022, he played a key role in strengthening BEL’s Components Strategic Business Unit, accelerating procurement and increasing production across various product lines. His tenure as GM (Technology Planning) was marked by efforts to fast-track R&D and oversee critical technology development.
Known for encouraging collaboration across functions, Kumar has seen his teams earn numerous recognitions, including BEL’s R&D Awards, SODET Awards, and Raksha Mantri Awards. He attributes his professional journey to the consistent support of his colleagues and mentors.
BI Bureau
