Address: BHEL House, Siri Fort
New Delhi-110 049
Telephone: 91-11-243-67927
Fax: 91-11-233-11415
Email: bhel@bhwl.ernet.in
Website: http://www.bhel.com
Chairman & Managing Director: K.G. Ramachandran
Subordinate to: Ministry of Heavy Industry & Public Enterprises
Primary Function: Produce heavy equipment for the power and industrial sectors

Description and Activities:
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is the largest power equipment manufacturer in India, and its generating sets account for nearly 65 percent of India's power generating capacity. BHEL is also one of the world's top six producers in the power sector. The company was founded in 1956 in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) and today includes 18 regional offices, 14 manufacturing divisions, and four power sector centers. BHEL employs nearly 47,000 personnel and produces a wide range of power sector industrial goods including valves, generators, pumps, boilers, and turbines. This equipment is utilized for coal, gas, nuclear, and hydel power plants. Due to BHEL's involvement in the Indian nuclear sector, the company was targeted for US sanctions following the May 1998 nuclear tests.

BHEL currently accounts for $1.6 billion in annual sales. In addition to power sector equipment, BHEL also manufactures locomotives for Indian Railways, valves for oil exploration, pollution control equipment, and industrial sector boilers.

Key Sources: "Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)," Federation of American Scientists (FAS), 13 May 2000, <http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/india/contractor/
bhel.htm>; Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), <http://www.bhel.com>; "Ministry of Heavy Industry & Public Enterprises (Government of India)," Sarkaritel.com, 26 February 2003, <http://www.sarkaritel.com/ministries/heavy_industry/>; Tata Consultancy Services and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Sign Memorandum of Understanding," Tata Consultancy Services, 18 March 2003, <http://www.tcs.com/>, V. Sridhar, "The power majors," Frontline Online Edition, Vol. 14, No. 23, 15-28 November 1997, <http://www.flonnet.com/fl1423/14230780.htm>.

	Updated September 2003