Industrial Units manufacturing large plant and machinery required for powerf generation, transmission, distribution and utilisation are covered under the category "Heavy Electrical Industry". These include turbo-generators, boilers, various types of turbines, transformers, motors switchgears and other such items.

Electrical equipments such as motors, transformers, switchgears etc. are used by all sectors of the Indian Economy. Some major areas where these are used are the multi-crore projects for power generation including nuclear power stations, petrochemical complexes, chemical plants integrated steel plants, non-ferrous metal units etc. The industry has been upgrading the existing technology and is now capable of taking up turn-key contracts also for export markets. The Industry has been delicensed.

The existing installed capacity in the industry is of the order of 4500 MW of thermal, 1345 MW of Hydro and about 100 MW of gas based power generation equipment per annum. There also exists capability for manufacture of equipment for nuclear power plants in the country. The share of domestic equipment is about 66% in the country’s power generation capacity.

The Heavy Electrical Industry is capable of manufacturing transmission and distribution equipment upto 400 KV AC and high voltage DC. Steps have also been taken to upgrade the technology to the next higher system voltage level of 800 KV. Large electrical motor used in Steel plants, Petrochemical complexes and other such heavy industries are also being manufactured in the country.

The domestic Heavy Electrical equipment manufacturers are making use of the developments in the global market with respect to product designs and upgrading of manufacturing & testing facilities.

A status report of various products covered under Heavy Electrical Industry is given below :

The capacity established for manufacture of various kinds of turbines such as steam & hydro turbines including Industrial turbines is more than 7000 MW per annum. Apart from BHEL, the public sector unit which has the largest installed capacity, there are units in the private sector also manufacturing steam & hydro turbines for power generation and industrial use. The manufacturing range of BHEL includes steam turbines upto 500 MW unit rating which they are planning to enhance upto 660 MW. They have capability to manufacture Gas Turbines upto 255 MW (ISO) rating.

BHEL is the largest manufacturer of boilers in the country and has the capacity to manufacture boilers for Super thermal power plants apart from utility boilers and industrial boilers. BHEL presently accounts for around 60% of total production of boilers. The domestic industry has the capacity to meet the indigenous requirement/demand for boilers.

The domestic transformers industry is well established with ability to provide state-of-the-art equipments. The industry has the capacity to manufacture whole range of power and distribution transformers including the REC ratings of 25,53,100 KVA and also the extra High voltage range of 400 KV, 600 MVA. Special types of transformers required for furnaces, rectifiers, electric tract etc. and series and shunt reactors as well as HVDC transmission upto 500 KV are also being manufactured in the country. The industry is well equipped to cope with the requirements of the country’s power sector development programmes during the period.

In India, the entire range of circuit breakers from bulk oil, minimum oil, air blast, vacuum to SF6 are manufactured to standard specifications for the benefit of customers. The range of products produced cover the entire voltage range for 240V to 420V. Switchgear and controlgear, MCBs, air circuit breakers, switches, rewireable fuses and HRC fuses with their respective fuse bases, holders and starters are being produced to customers’ specifications as well as to standard specifications. Motor control centres, distribution panels and elaborate control systems based on microprocessor and computer control are also available for power stations, load despatch centres, major receiving centres and industrial complexes.

The reliability of this equipment is proved through field tests and field performance. In fact all equipment is type-tested in recognised laboratories.

There are two types of Electrical furnaces, i.e. (i) Induction furnaces, heating equipment and (ii) Arc Furnaces. Electrical Furnaces are used in Metallurgical and Engineering industries like forging and foundry, machine tools, automobiles etc. Adequate capacity for production of these products has been established.

Shunting locomotives for localised/internal transport facilities are used in Railways, Steel Plants, Thermal power plants etc. BHEL’s Jhansi Unit among others is manufacturing such locomotives. The installed capacity adequate to meet the domestic demand.

Indian Textile Machinery Manufacturers are manufacturing textile machinery required for sorting, cording, processing of yarns/fabrics and weaving along-with the components, spares and accessories. The industry has developed over the last five decades and is one of the oldest industry catering to the needs of textile sector. There are over 600 units engaging in the manufacture of machinery and spares out of which about 100 units are manufacturing complete textile machinery. The Textile Machinery Industry are endeavoring to upgrade the production of sophisticated machines so as to cater to the needs of garments and weaving sector.

With a capital investment of Rs.1500 crore and an installed capacity of Rs.3600 crore per annum, their current production as well as exports are as under :

Sugar Machinery Industry

Domestic manufacturers of sugar machinery occupy a predominant position in the global scenario. They are capable of manufacturing sugar plants of latest design for a capacity upto 10,000 TCD. There are presently 27 units in the organised sector for the manufacture of complete sugar plants and components with a current level of production value of Rs.136.87 crores against installed capacity of Rs.200 crores.

The range of equipment includes cane handling and milling plants, Evaporator, Bagasse Drying plants, Centrifugals, Weighing and Bagging Machine etc. besides complete sugar plants.

The Imports & Exports during 1998-99 were Rs.2.78 crores & 2.82 crores respectively.

Rubber Machinery Industry

There are at present 19 units in the organised sector for the manufacture of rubber machinery mainly required for tyre/tube industry. The range of equipments manufactured in the country includes inter-mixer, tyre-curing presses, tube splicers,bladder curing presses, tyre moulds, tyre building machines, turnet servicer, bias cutters, rubber injection moulding machine, bead wire etc.

In the past, the industry has secured export orders against stiff international competition for tyre/tube curing presses, tube splicers, etc. The import and exports during 1998-99 were Rs. 9.25 crores and Rs. 4.69 crores respectively.

Material Handling Equipment Industry

The range of equipments manufactured includes crushing and screening plants, coal/ore/ash handling plant and associated equipment such as stackers, reclaimers, ship loaders/ unloaders, wagon tipplers, feeders etc. catering to the growing and rapidly changing needs of the core industries such as Coal, Cement, Power, Ports, Mining, Fertilizers and steel plants.

There are 50 units in the organised sector for the manufacture of material handling equipment and their production value is Rs.284.43 crores for the year 1999-2000. Besides units in the organised sector, there are number of units operating in the small scale sector manufacturing material handling equipments and its components. Imports and Exports during 1998-99 were around Rs. 116.44 crores and Rs. 40.89 crores respectively.

Pulp and Paper Machinery

There are 78 units in the organised sector manufacturing pulp & paper machinery. The estimated value of installed capacity is around Rs. 200 crores per annum. The present level of production is Rs.51.54 crores.

The indigenous industry has been well established and are able to produce plants ranging from 10 TPD to 300 TPD capacity which includes equipments for pulping facilities, stock preparation, finishing etc. The indigenous industry is also in a position to execute orders on turnkey basis. Imports and Exports during 1998-99 were Rs. 32.76 crores and Rs.4.85 crores respectively.

Oil Field Equipment

The petroleum industry in India is undergoing a major change. In accordance with the ongoing process of liberalisation, the industry has been thrown open for private sector in all the major areas of exploration, production, refining and marketing, resulting in increased demand for the oil field and related equipment. The users are ONGC, Oil India Ltd on charter - hire basis.

Oil field equipment industry is well established in the country. Both onshore and offshore drilling rigs are being produced. The major producers are BHEL, Hindustan Shipyard, Mazagon Dock and Burn & Co. BHEL Hyderabad, a public sector undertaking is the only unit manufacturing onshore drilling rigs and work over rigs. The present capacity of the unit is 12 nos per annum. Off shore platforms/structures are being produced both by public and private sector companies.

Indian machine tools are built to the international standard of quality/precision and reliability. Most of the major manufacturers have already developed CNC Machine Tools. A number of collaborations have also been approved for bringing in the latest technology in this field of modern machine tools and the industry is now exporting conventional as well as NC/CNC high-tech machine tools. In the field of R&D, Central Manufacturing Technology Institute, Bangalore has been doing-pioneering research for more appropriate designed machine tools. The average import content in respect of CNC machines during early 90s had been around 40% which has since been reduced substantially by indigenisation of major components. The sector is delicenced and import is also permitted.

The production, import and export data furnished by the Machine Tools Manufacturing Association for 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 are as under :-