Defence stks rally up to 3% ahead of year-end DAC meet

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Shares of defence companies like Bharat Electronics Ltd ( BEL), Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), and others rallied up to 3% on the BSE on Friday, December 26, ahead of the key Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting to be held later in the day. The meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is expected to take up high-value proposals related to the emergency procurement of critical military systems and equipment, potentially unlocking orders worth Rs 80,000 crore.
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Among key gainers, Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) surged to a record high of Rs 1,513.45, logging a 2.2% gain for the day. Data Patterns also performed well, rising 1.85% to Rs 2,721.60. Shares of Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) hit Rs 406.30, up 1.56%, while Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd ( HAL) touched a high of Rs 4,463.90, gaining 0.98% from the previous close.

The rally was supported by growing optimism that multiple big-ticket deals could be cleared to fast-track India’s defence preparedness across air defence, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), and drone capabilities.

The anticipated boost to indigenous manufacturing and the “Make in India” theme in defence has kept stocks like BEL, BDL, HAL, and Data Patterns in sharp focus.

Key procurements under consideration by DAC

According to ETNow sources, the DAC is expected to approve several key proposals, including:

  • Procurement of Embraer-based Airborne Early Warning (AEW) systems, including NETRA AEW integration;
  • Deals related to long-endurance MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drones;
  • Contracts to enhance India’s air defence and ISR capabilities.
These approvals come at a time when India is looking to scale up its indigenous defence manufacturing and reduce dependency on imports.

It is believed that the DAC meeting could set the tone for a strong order pipeline heading into 2026, especially for players like BEL and BDL with established capabilities in missile systems, radars, and electronics warfare systems.

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