Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
Indian state-owned engineering and manufacturing company
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Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is an Indian state-owned engineering and manufacturing company headquartered in New Delhi. It operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of Heavy Industries and manufactures equipment and systems for power generation, transmission, transportation, defence, aerospace, oil and gas and emerging energy technologies.[5]
| |
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| ISIN | INE257A01026 |
| Industry | |
| Founded | 13 November 1964 |
| Founder | Government of India |
| Headquarters | BHEL House, Siri Fort, , India |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | K. Sadashiv Murthy (Chairman and Managing Director)[1] |
| Products |
|
| Revenue | ₹33,782.18 crore (US$3.5 billion) (FY2026)[2] |
| ₹1,600.26 crore (US$170 million) (FY2026)[2] | |
| Owner | Government of India (63.17%)[3] |
Number of employees | approximately 28,000[4] |
| Parent | Ministry of Heavy Industries |
| Website | www |
BHEL operates 16 manufacturing facilities across India and has business references in more than 90 countries.[4] The company is a Maharatna central public sector enterprise and is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India.
As of 30 June 2026, BHEL had an outstanding order book of approximately ₹260,255 crore (US$27 billion), covering its power, industry and international businesses.[6]
History
The institutional origins of BHEL date to the establishment of Heavy Electricals (India) Limited (HE(I)L). The Government of India signed an agreement with Associated Electrical Industries of the United Kingdom in November 1955 for development of a heavy electrical equipment factory at Bhopal. HE(I)L was incorporated on 29 August 1956.[7]
Increasing demand for electricity led the government to establish additional heavy-electrical manufacturing plants at Tiruchirappalli, Hyderabad and Haridwar. A separate company, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, was formally incorporated on 13 November 1964 to establish and manage these plants.[7]
HE(I)L and BHEL operated separately during the 1960s and early 1970s. The Government of India subsequently decided to integrate the two organisations, and HE(I)L was merged with BHEL in January 1974.[7]
During the 1970s and 1980s, BHEL expanded into higher-capacity thermal generating sets, nuclear-power equipment, transmission systems, oil-field equipment, gas turbines and locomotives. Its Corporate Research and Development division was established in Hyderabad in 1977.[7]
In the following decades the company diversified into defence, aerospace, railway transportation, renewable energy, electric mobility, battery storage, coal gasification and hydrogen technologies.[7]
Operations
BHEL designs, engineers, manufactures, erects, commissions and services industrial and infrastructure equipment. Its operations are broadly divided between the Power and Industry segments.[2]
The company operates 16 manufacturing facilities across India, including major complexes at:
- Bhopal – heavy electrical equipment
- Haridwar – turbines, generators and heavy electrical equipment
- Tiruchirappalli – boilers and boiler components
- Hyderabad – turbines, compressors and heavy power equipment
- Jhansi – transformers and railway equipment
- Bengaluru – electronics, transportation systems, solar and space equipment
- Ranipet – boiler auxiliaries
- Visakhapatnam – heavy plates and vessels
- Thirumayam – power-plant piping[4]
BHEL has supplied more than 197 GW of power-generating equipment worldwide and has supplied equipment representing a substantial share of India's installed utility-scale thermal, hydro and nuclear generating capacity.[5]
Power generation
Power-generation equipment has historically formed BHEL's largest business segment.
The company's products include steam generators, boilers, steam turbines, generators, gas turbines, hydro turbines, electrostatic precipitators, flue-gas desulphurisation systems and associated balance-of-plant equipment.[5]
During FY2025–26, BHEL received approximately ₹59,000 crore (US$6.1 billion) of new power-sector orders. The company commissioned or synchronised approximately 8.9 GW of generating capacity during the year.[8]
Nuclear power
BHEL has supplied equipment to India's nuclear-energy programme since the 1970s. Its nuclear products include steam generators, reactor headers, steam turbines, generators, heat exchangers and pressure vessels.[9]
BHEL states that it is associated with all three stages of India's three-stage nuclear power programme:
In 2023, BHEL and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India signed an agreement to jointly explore construction of additional PHWR-based nuclear-power plants.[9]
BHEL-manufactured turbine-generator equipment has been installed at several Indian nuclear stations, including Kaiga Atomic Power Station, Kakrapar Atomic Power Station and the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station.
Rail transportation
BHEL has supplied railway equipment to Indian Railways for several decades. Its transportation portfolio includes electric locomotives, traction motors, traction transformers, converters, auxiliary converters, train-control equipment and electric multiple-unit propulsion systems.[5]
Vande Bharat
In 2023, a BHEL-led consortium with Titagarh Rail Systems received an Indian Railways contract to manufacture and maintain 80 Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets.[10]
The trainsets are designed for operating speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph).[10]
In January 2026, BHEL began supplying indigenously manufactured underslung traction converters and traction transformers for the programme from its Bengaluru and Jhansi units.[11][12]
Kavach
BHEL has expanded into railway signalling and train-protection systems. During FY2025–26 it received its first order from Indian Railways for the design, development and installation of Kavach equipment on a section of South Western Railway.[13]
Defence and aerospace
BHEL manufactures defence and aerospace systems including naval guns, integrated platform-management systems, compact heat exchangers, motors, generators and space-qualified electrical equipment.[14]
Naval weapons
BHEL manufactures the 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) for the Indian Navy at its Haridwar plant.
In November 2023, the Ministry of Defence signed a ₹2,956.89 crore (US$310 million) contract with BHEL for 16 upgraded SRGMs and associated equipment for installation on existing and newly constructed Indian Navy ships.[15]
Several Indian Navy warships, including the Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, use 76 mm SRGMs manufactured at BHEL's Haridwar plant.[16]
Aerospace and space systems
BHEL manufactures space-grade lithium-ion cells, batteries and solar panels and supplies specialised components for Indian space and aerospace programmes.[14]
BHEL supplied space-grade solar panels and lithium-ion batteries for the joint NASA–ISRO NISAR satellite mission.[13]
The company has also received work associated with pump modules for India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft programme.[13]
Renewable energy and emerging technologies
BHEL's renewable-energy activities include solar photovoltaic plants, floating solar systems, battery energy-storage systems, electric-vehicle charging equipment and emerging hydrogen technologies.[5]
In July 2026, BHEL entered into a strategic collaboration with thyssenkrupp nucera India for phased localisation and manufacture of alkaline electrolyser systems for green-hydrogen projects in India.[17]
Coal gasification
BHEL has developed technology for gasification of high-ash Indian coal.
In January 2026, BHEL received an approximately ₹5,400 crore (US$560 million) contract from Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited, a joint venture between Coal India and BHEL, for a coal-gasification and raw-syngas-cleaning plant at Jharsuguda, Odisha.[18]
Research and development
BHEL operates its Corporate Research and Development centre in Hyderabad and research groups within its manufacturing divisions.
Its research areas include power electronics, electric machines, advanced materials, surface engineering, computational fluid dynamics, intelligent machines and robotics, high-voltage engineering, nanotechnology and clean-energy systems.[19]
BHEL's current corporate profile states that it maintains 15 Centres of Excellence and five specialised research centres.[4]
Financial performance
For the financial year ended 31 March 2026, BHEL reported consolidated revenue from operations of ₹33,782.18 crore (US$3.5 billion) and consolidated profit after tax of ₹1,600.26 crore (US$170 million).[2]
| Financial year | Revenue from operations | Profit after tax |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | ₹27,350 crore (US$2.8 billion) | ₹504 crore (US$52 million) |
| 2025–26 | ₹33,782.18 crore (US$3.5 billion) | ₹1,600.26 crore (US$170 million) |
During FY2025–26, BHEL received approximately ₹75,000 crore (US$7.8 billion) of new orders. Its year-end outstanding order book was approximately ₹240,000 crore (US$25 billion).[8]
By 30 June 2026, its outstanding order book had increased to approximately ₹260,255 crore (US$27 billion).[6]
Manufacturing facilities
Major manufacturing locations include Haridwar, Bhopal, Tiruchirappalli, Hyderabad, Jhansi, Bengaluru, Ranipet, Visakhapatnam, Thirumayam, Jagdishpur and Goindwal.[4]
The Haridwar complex manufactures large turbines, generators and naval gun systems, while the Tiruchirappalli units manufacture boilers, pressure components and nuclear steam generators.
BHEL Jhansi manufactures transformers and railway equipment, and the company's Bengaluru operations manufacture electronics, propulsion systems, solar equipment and space-grade electrical systems.
International operations
BHEL has executed projects and supplied equipment across more than 90 countries on all six inhabited continents.[4]
Its overseas activities include power-generation equipment, transmission systems, industrial equipment, renovation and modernisation projects, and engineering services.
