BEL and Bellatrix Aerospace join forces to build indigenous space capabilities in VLEO regime

Bengaluru, March 5, 2026: Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a leading Indian aerospace and defence company, and Bellatrix Aerospace, a prominent Indian space tech company specialising in satellite propulsion systems and satellite subsystems, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the design, development and manufacturing of satellite systems and payloads.

The collaboration brings together BEL’s decades of experience in developing advanced electronics and mission-critical payloads for defence and strategic applications with Bellatrix Aerospace’s innovative capabilities in satellite propulsion and satellite subsystems. By combining their complementary strengths, the partnership aims to advance indigenous capabilities in satellite platforms designed for Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) operations.

This partnership is expected to be transformational in accelerating innovation and strengthening India’s capabilities in building next-generation satellite systems for VLEO.

As space continues to play an increasingly strategic role in today’s scenario, partnering with innovative deep-tech startups like Bellatrix allows BEL to combine its expertise in defence electronics with emerging space technologies. Such collaborations are essential to strengthen India’s indigenous capabilities in the evolving space sector. Together, the two companies aim to develop integrated satellite solutions that support India’s strategic and civilian space missions.

The MoU was exchanged between Mrs Rashmi Kathuria, GM (SCCS) & Unit Head/BEL-Ghaziabad, and Mr Rohan M Ganapathy (CEO and CTO of Bellatrix Aerospace), in the presence of Mr Manoj Jain, CMD, Mr KV Suresh Kumar, Director (Marketing), Mr Kamesh Kasana, Director (Other Units), Mrs Niti Pandit, GM (Strategic Planning), and Mr Chinnappa Rajappa Patil, Chief Scientist (CRL-Bangalore), BEL.

About Bharat Electronics Limited

BEL, a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, is a leader in India’s Defence and strategic electronics sector. BEL is a multi-product, multi-technology, multi-unit enterprise with a portfolio of over 600 products spanning the domains of Radars & Fire Control Systems, Weapon Systems, Communication & Network-Centric Systems, Naval Systems, Electronic Warfare & Avionics, Electro-optics, Anti-Submarine Warfare Systems, Tank Electronics & Gun Upgrades, Homeland Security, Civilian products, and Strategic Components.

About Bellatrix Aerospace

Bellatrix Aerospace, established in 2015, is an India-based space-tech company specialising in satellite propulsion technologies and satellite subsystems. The company has developed cutting-edge products in sustainable in-space mobility, including its space-qualified green chemical propulsion and Hall Effect Thruster (HET) technology. These innovations have gained traction among key stakeholders across US, EU, Japan, and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), reinforcing Bellatrix’s role in shaping the future of sustainable space mobility.