Bangalore, April 12 (IANS) Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), the leading defence public sector undertaking, has set a revenue target of Rs.36 billion for fiscal 2005-06 following fresh orders from defence and civilian sectors.

For the just-concluded fiscal year 2004-05, the Bangalore-based state undertaking posted a provisional turnover of Rs 32.

24 billion, registering an increase of 15 per cent over the previous year (2003-04).

The net profit increased to Rs 4.29 billion from Rs 3.16 billion over the last 12 months, while profit before tax was estimated at Rs 6.56 billion as against Rs 4.69 billion in the previous fiscal.

Our revenue projection of Rs 36 billion for this fiscal ( 2005-06) is based on a healthy book order of Rs 60.10 billion April 1. This is only a provisional estimate, with majority of orders coming from the defence services. The turnover is expected to go up during the year with better orders from the civilian sector, BEL chairman and managing director Y. Gopala Rao told reporters here Tuesday.

Similarly, the export order book at the beginning of the new fiscal was $38.28 million, including an order from the Royal Nepalese Army for hand held thermal imagers (HHTI) valued at $5.41 million.

We have also bagged a contract worth $8.21 million for supply of radar warning receivers to the Russian Aircraft Corporation, an export order valued at $16.82 million order for supply of communication and night vision equipment to Sudan and another contract worth $1.6 million for supplying communication equipment, night vision and solar products to Suriname, Rao disclosed.

In the last fiscal BEL exported products valued at $12.72 million, an increase of 40 per cent over the previous fiscal year of $9.08 million.

Exports included supply of spares of 3D radar TRS 2215 to the Indonesian Air Force, refurbishment of cymbeline radar to Egypt, laser range finders to Israel, solar powered traffic signalling system for Suriname, solar cells to Germany and X-ray parts to a US company.

Contract manufacturing for GE medical systems in the US continues to be an area of growth on the export front, contributing $6-8 million annually. We are targeting countries in Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia and the SAARC region for increasing our exports, Rao said.