Bhel offers its idle facilities for use to foreign companies

In the wake of lower utilisation of its manufacturing facilities, state-run Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) called for expression of interest (EoI) from foreign companies, who wish to use its currently idle factories for manufacturing from India. The possible areas where Bhel is looking for partnership include the manufacturing of electrical equipment, transportation equipment, solar modules, lithium-ion cells and LCD panels, sources aware of the development said.

The company is also offering its 14,000-acre land bank available in major cities, industrial clusters and demand centres for a range of purposes like setting up manufacturing facilities, hospitals and smart cities. Bhel has 16 manufacturing facilities across the country. Calling it a “win-win situation” for both the foreign company and Bhel, analysts pointed that both parties can benefit from the state-owned manufacturer offering a readymade solution in the form of factories, its 34,000 staff (including 9,000 engineers) and its pre-set vendor base and supply chain.