HAL Radar Deal Marks Strategic Evolution For Centum Electronics, Says Company Leadership

Centum Electronics Limited has called its latest order from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) a defining milestone in its growth journey—both as a technological leap and a strategic shift in the company's business capabilities. Speaking to NDTV Profit, Nikhil Mallavarapu, Joint Managing Director of Centum Electronics, described the development contract as “a major milestone for Centum Electronics not only because it is a major development program, but also because it marks a strategic evolution for us as a company.”

From Subsystems to Full System Integration

Mallavarapu explained that the company is transitioning from being primarily a subsystem supplier to becoming a full-fledged system-integration partner for high-end aerospace programs.

“This order takes us from being a provider of sub-systems or building blocks of critical programs to delivering full, system-integrated solutions,” he said.

Centum Electronics—an electronics system design and manufacturing player focused on defence and aerospace—will design and develop the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar System for the Utility Helicopter–Maritime (UH-M) platform built by HAL.

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What the AESA Radar Will Do

The AESA radar for the UH‑M is designed to detect, classify, and track multiple maritime targets, significantly enhancing the helicopter's situational awareness, surveillance capability, and operational effectiveness in naval environments.
Two-Phase Programme Worth Rs 668 Crore

The AESA radar programme awarded by HAL will be executed in two phases, with a total estimated value of around Rs 668 crore.

Mallavarapu said Phase 1 involves designing multiple prototypes, validating them against performance parameters, and completing stringent qualification and certification. This will be followed by integration on the helicopter platform.

“The whole program is about Rs 600–700 crore, but once the technology is proven, we can try to integrate and deploy it on other platforms as well, further increasing the addressable market,” Mallavarapu said.

Strong Growth Outlook

The Centum executive added that the HAL order, along with other defence opportunities, places the company on track for a strong close to the fiscal year.

“We expect our order book to go up in Q4 and see 25–30% growth,” he said.

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