Bangalore, April 04, 2006 (Business Standard)

Premier defence undertaking Bharat Electronics (BEL) has recorded a profit before tax of Rs 848 crore for 2005-06 against Rs 686 crore reported the previous year.

The company registered its highest-ever turnover of Rs 3,561 crore (provisional) for 2005-06, an increase of 11 per cent over last year’s Rs 3,212 crore.

During the year, BEL saw exports of $13.58 million against last year’s figure of $12.50 million. The turnover per employee for 2005-06 is Rs 29 lakh, an increase of over 11 per cent compared with last year’s figure of Rs 26 lakh, the company said in a release.

The order book stands around Rs 6,500 crore as on April 1, 2006 against Rs 6,100 crore last year. This year, the company rolled out more than 15 new products.

The turnover accruing from indigenously developed products stands at 73 per cent this year against 63 per cent last year.

BEL is one of the few PSUs to sign a pact with the department of defence production ever since the Centre introduced a performance measurement system in 1989-90. BEL has achieved a MoU rating of ‘excellent’ for the past eight consecutive years, the release added.