Engineering, Development and Market Orientation

About BHEL

  • Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is an Indian central public sector undertaking and the largest government-owned power generation equipment manufacturer.
  • It is owned by the Government of India, with administrative control by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
  • Established in 1956 with Soviet technology, BHEL is based in New Delhi.
  • Challenges before the Government of India in 1947:
    • Providing a strong base in infrastructure and capital goods for economic and industrial development.
    • Realization by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's government of the need for a large manufacturing base and technically qualified personnel for sustained economic growth.
  • Recognizing the importance of electric power for long-term industrial growth, the Planning Commission recommended setting up a factory for manufacturing heavy electrical equipment.
  • On November 17, 1955, the Government of India signed an agreement with Associated Electrical Industries (AEI), UK, to establish a factory at Bhopal for manufacturing heavy electrical equipment.
  • The company was registered as Heavy Electricals (India) Limited (HE(I)L) on August 29, 1956.
  • Government decision to set up three more plants:
    • Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) for high-pressure boilers (collaboration with Czechoslovakia).
    • Hyderabad (Telangana) for steam turbo generators and high-pressure pumps and compressors (collaboration with Czechoslovakia).
    • Haridwar (Uttarakhand) for large steam turbo generating sets and motors and hydro generating sets (collaboration with the erstwhile USSR).
  • Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited was formally incorporated on November 13, 1964,to manage these three units.

Interview Module

  • Components
    • Introduction
    • Group Discussion
    • Group Task
    • HR
    • Communication
    • Technical
    • TT
  • Interview Questions
  • Marathon Videos
  • PDF of Most Probable Interview Questions
  • Served More than 10,000+ Candidates for Engineering & Non Engg.

BHEL Evolution and Operations

  • BHEL was established in 1956, marking the beginning of the heavy electrical equipment industry in India. Heavy Electricals (India) Limited was merged with BHEL in 1974.
  • Initially, BHEL was conceived as a manufacturing PSU with technological assistance from the Soviet Union.
  • In the 1980s, BHEL was at the forefront of thyristor technology.
  • BHEL was converted into a public company in 1991.
  • Over time, BHEL developed capabilities to produce a variety of electrical, electronic, and mechanical equipment for sectors like transmission, transportation, oil and gas, and other allied industries.
  • The majority of the company's revenue comes from the sale of power generation equipment such as turbines and boilers.
  • As of 2017, BHEL supplied equipment accounted for approximately 55% of India's total installed power generation capacity.
  • BHEL also supplies electric locomotives to Indian Railways and defense equipment such as Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) naval guns and simulators to the Indian Armed Forces.
  • BHEL has been exporting its products and services for over 40 years.
  • BHEL's global presence extends to over 76 countries across six continents, with a cumulative overseas installed capacity exceeding 9,000 MW across 21 countries.
  • BHEL is involved in the design, engineering, manufacturing, construction, testing, commissioning, and servicing of products, systems, and services for core sectors of the economy, including power, transmission, industry, transportation, renewable energy, oil & gas, and defense.
  • BHEL has a network of 16 manufacturing units, two repair units, four regional offices, eight service centers, eight overseas offices, 15 regional centers, seven joint ventures, and infrastructure to execute over 150 projects across India and abroad.
  • BHEL can deliver 20,000 MW p.a. of power equipment.
  • BHEL has been involved in the nation's Nuclear Programme since 1976, supplying critical nuclear components.

R&D Initiatives of BHEL

  • BHEL is among the top Indian companies in 'The Global Innovation 1000' by Booz & Co.
  • In 2011, BHEL was ranked the 9th most innovative company in the world by Forbes.
  • During 2012-2013, the company invested approximately 1,2521,252 Crore on R&D, which is about 2.50%2.50\% of the company's turnover.
  • The IPR capital of BHEL grew by 21.5%21.5\% in 2012-2013, taking the total to 2170.
  • The corporate R&D division at Hyderabad leads BHEL's research efforts.
  • BHEL has established Centres of Excellence for various technologies, including simulators, computational fluid dynamics, permanent magnet machines, surface engineering, machine dynamics, nano technology, and more.
  • BHEL has specialized institutes like the Welding Research Institute (WRI) and Ceramic Technological Institute (CTI).
  • BHEL has supplied its 100th Space-grade battery to ISRO for Chandrayaan, manufactured at the Electronic Systems Division (ESD) of BHEL in Bengaluru.

Merger and Expansion

  • In 1972, the Government of India decided to merge HE(I)L and BHEL, which was formally completed in January 1974.
  • BHEL upgraded its facilities to manufacture thermal generating sets ranging from 30 MW to 210 MW, hydro generating plants, and transmission products up to 400 kV.
  • The organization shifted from production/operations management to strategic planning and management.
  • BHEL upgraded its products with global leaders to meet domestic needs and exports. The first export order was executed for Malaysia.
  • The corporate plan focused on transforming from