Yes, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited or BHEL is a government company. In fact, it is India’s largest government-owned electrical and industrial technology company. Founded in the year 1964, BHEL is a major player in the engineering and heavy electrical equipment sector in India. The company operates under the administrative control of Ministry of Mines, Government of India.

BHEL is engaged in the design, engineering, manufacturing, construction and servicing of a wide range of products and systems across areas like power generation, transportation, transmission, defence, aerospace, oil and gas and more.

Here is a quick overview of BHEL

Company History

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited was established in the year 1964 as a holding entity to oversee multiple manufacturing plants, including units in Trichi, Haridwar, Bhopal and Hyderabad. In January 1974, the Bhopal-based Heavy Electricals (India) Limited was merged with BHEL to create an unified entity.

BHEL expanded its operations throughout the 1970s and 80s, integrating operations across plants and manufacturing advanced equipment like thermal power sets. Over decades, the company diversified beyond power generation into transmission, transportation, defence, aerospace, oil and gas, batteries and more.

Current Status

BHEL is present all over India, with an extensive network of 16 manufacturing units, 2 repair units, 8 service centres, 4 regional offices and 15 regional marketing centres. Furthermore, the company is present in 89 countries across six continents, with equipment exported to foreign markets making up about 12,000 MW of power generating capacity.

BHEL contributes significantly to India’s power infrastructure. To be specific, BHEL-supplied equipment account for 55% of India’s installed capacity in the utility power segment. The company plays an important role in India’s rail transportation infrastructure. It designs and manufactures numerous systems and equipment for the Indian Railways. These include electric locomotives up to 9000 HP, diesel electric locomotives up to 3000 HP, semi-high speed trainsets, IGBT based propulsion equipment, EMU coaches and traction transformers for electric locomotives.

BHEL is a major supplier of critical equipment and services for the Indian defence and aerospace sectors. For instance, the company supplies super rapid gun mount naval guns to the Indian Navy. It is a global engineering enterprise and a major player in energy, infrastructure and strategic sectors.

Future Outlook

BHEL has a strong and positive outlook, driven by record-high order book, India’s growing energy demands, government support for infrastructure and self reliance and strategic diversification. The company is expanding into renewable energy like wind and solar, along with advanced ultra-critical technology.