BHEL's Bangalore unit records Rs 1,687 cr turnover

The Bangalore-based operations of BHEL have posted a turnover of Rs 1,687 crore, up 13 per cent, and a profit before tax of Rs 429 crore, up 14 per cent.

The Bangalore unit, which comprises Electronics Division, Industrial Systems Group and Electroporcelains Division, had an order book of Rs 4,695 crore by the end of the 2007-08 fiscal.

The PSU had bagged significant orders during the year, including one from National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL).

It had also bagged an order from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) for supply, installation and commissioning of grid interactive solar photovoltaic systems along with street and yard lighting systems at 57 of their outlets in the latter's south and west zone operations.

This was the first major solar photovoltaic project to be taken up on a large-scale for fuel dispensing application in the country.

The control and instrumentation business, which has a market share of 65 per cent, booked orders of Rs 1,825 crore during 2007-08, highest in a year. The city units together booked orders of Rs 3,227 crore during the year.

The Electronics Division has signed a business sharing agreement with Strukton Railinfra, Netherlands for propulsion systems for the railways rolling stock.

The division has also bagged an order from Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) for supply of 50 sets of control electronics for 6,000 HP AC Loco during 2008-09. Last year, it had secured a Rs 10 crore order from the Railways for supply of control electronics and power converters.

The Bangalore based units booked exports contracts worth Rs 347 crore and registered an exports turnover of Rs 211 crore.

The electronics division has filed six patent applications for process and product related features in Control Equipment and Solar Photovoltaic areas.

A patent filed jointly by the division and the corporate research and development on "an apparatus for providing reactive power support required by power systems" has been granted.

The Bangalore units of BHEL have embarked on a major expansion plan in their existing business areas so as to achieve an annual turnover of over Rs 4,000 crore by 2011-12.

BHEL has developed test bed and higher rating semiconductor diode for use in 800 MW turbo generators and these products will help the company handle super-critical projects.