Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is an Indian defence public sector undertaking that manufactures guided missiles, torpedoes, launchers and allied weapon systems for the Indian Armed Forces. Headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana, BDL was set up in 1970 as the country's dedicated production base for missile technology and remains one of the principal missile-manufacturing companies under the Ministry of Defence.

Key facts

  • Incorporated on 16 July 1970 as a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India
  • Headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana
  • Core mandate: manufacture of guided missiles, torpedoes, launchers, countermeasures and allied defence equipment
  • Classified a Mini Ratna Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise
  • Listed on the NSE and BSE since its March 2018 initial public offering, with the Government of India as majority shareholder
  • Manufacturing units at Kanchanbagh (Hyderabad), Bhanur and Ibrahimpatnam in Telangana, and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, with a new unit under construction at Amravati, Maharashtra

Origins and mandate

BDL was established to give India an indigenous manufacturing base for anti-tank and air-defence missiles, ending complete reliance on imports for such systems. Its first product, in the early 1970s, was the SS-11B1 first-generation anti-tank guided missile, built under a licence agreement with the French firm Aerospatiale. Hyderabad was chosen as the base of operations for its existing pool of precision engineering skills and proximity to other public-sector defence and aerospace units. Over the following decades BDL expanded from licensed production into co-development and full-scale manufacture of missiles designed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), positioning the company as the production arm that converts DRDO missile designs into series-produced weapons for the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Manufacturing units

BDL's original Kanchanbagh unit in Hyderabad produces surface-to-air missiles, Milan anti-tank guided missiles, countermeasure systems, launchers and test equipment, and houses radio-frequency and imaging infra-red seeker facilities. The Bhanur unit, also in Telangana, manufactures Konkurs-M and Invar anti-tank guided missiles along with launchers and a dedicated warhead-production facility. The Ibrahimpatnam unit has been expanded to assemble and test larger missile systems during both development and production phases, supporting capacity growth as order volumes rise. The Visakhapatnam unit in Andhra Pradesh produces heavyweight and lightweight torpedoes developed by DRDO's Naval Science and Technological Laboratory. To meet rising orders from the armed forces, BDL is building a further unit at Amravati in Maharashtra, part of a broader expansion plan to widen its manufacturing footprint beyond Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Corporate status

BDL operates under the administrative control of the Department of Defence Production within the Ministry of Defence and holds Mini Ratna Category-I status, granting it greater financial and operational autonomy than an ordinary government company. The company was listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in March 2018 through an initial public offering, while the Government of India retained majority ownership. It has consistently reported profits and pays regular dividends to shareholders. Shailesh Vagerwal, an officer of the Indian Ordnance Factories Service, took charge as Chairman and Managing Director in July 2026.

As India pursues self-reliance in defence production, BDL remains central to equipping the armed forces with indigenously manufactured missiles while also growing its export footprint to friendly foreign countries under government-to-government arrangements, and expanding its production capacity to meet a growing domestic order book.