BEML bags prestigious Bangalore Metro order

State-owned defence and the only Indian maker of cars and coaches for metros, Bharat Earth Movers Ltd, now renamed BEML Limited, has been contracted to supply 150 metro coaches for Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). Ther order is valud at Rs1,672.50 crore. BEML says it expects an additional order for 63 metro coaches for further expansion and extension of proposed metro lines in Bangalore city.

The first set of metro coaches will be delivered by October 2010 for testing. These will bemanufactured at its Bangalore complex situated in New Thippasandra, a dedicated unit for the manufacture of rail products.

BEML is also supplying metro rail coaches to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for its RS-3 Project, valued at Rs1,365 crore. Apart from this, BEML Limited has also indigenously developed low-cost metro coaches at an estimated cost of around Rs6 crore per coach to facilitate tier-II and tier-III cities for the implementation of mass rapid transport system (MRTP).

BEML is working with a Chinese company and other global suppliers and is hopeful of getting some pilot orders for these R&D products. BEML also has plans to set up a national R&D centre of excellence for metro rail products with central government funding to the tune of Rs125 crore.

the Rs2700 crore Mini-Ratna category-I BEML is one of the leading global manufacturers of heavy earth moving equipment, rail coaches and metro coaches and heavy duty multi-utility trucks for the defence forces.

The company has also expanded its business in engineering services outsourcing (ESO) through its technology division and its trading operations in non-BEML products, being recognised by the ministry of commerce as a two-star export house.

With a hefty order book position of over Rs4,000 crore, the company has a target of Rs3,000 crore for 2009-10. The company has also set for itself a corporate goal  that it calls Vision-2013 to achieve a Rs5,000-crore turnover in 2013-14,  its golden jubilee year.