New Delhi: Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) are playing a substantial role in India's fight against the global pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19). DRDO, BEL, HAL, MDL are together strengthening in their own ways the fight against the virus. To begin with, the navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is manufacturing ventilators with the help of local manufacturers. The union cabinet has also approved the proposal of BEL to manufacture 30,000 ventilators in the next two months to deal with the pandemic.

The Department of Defence Production in a tweet announced on Thursday that "Bharat Electronics Limited will manufacture 12,000 ventilators in the month of May and another 18,000 in June. To support health-workers around 3,000 engineers will also participate in the training of the health professionals in operationalising these ventilators." The news came at a time when the whole world is facing a shortage of health equipment and India is in the dire need of ventilators.

In addition to this, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and ITI Limited, a Bangalore based Miniratna PSU, have also collaborated to manufacture portable ventilators. The delivery of portable ventilators is expected to start in the first week of the next month.

Navratna Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has also manufactured and supplied 300 aerosol cabinets to various hospitals, said Department of defence Production in a separate tweet.

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) had provided the personal protective equipment (PPE) and medicines worth Rs five lakh to Naval Quarantine Centre, Mumbai and distributed 4,000 litres of sanitiser.