The Hindu Business Line : BEL profit before tax up at Rs 848 cr

Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has recorded a provisional profit before tax of Rs 848 crore for the year 2005-06, registering a 19 per cent growth over Rs 686 crore that it made last fiscal.

The defence PSU posted its highest ever turnover of Rs 3,561 crore (provisional) or 11 per cent increase over the previous year's turnover of Rs 3,212 crore.

BEL's exports touched $13.58 million ($12.50 million). The turnover per employee for 2005-06 improved to Rs 29 lakh (Rs 26 lakh).

Order book

The order book stands at Rs 6,500 crore as on April 1, 2006 (Rs 6,100 crore), it said.

BEL introduced over 15 new products during the year. The turnover accruing from indigenously developed products was 73 per cent this year (63 per cent).

During the year, it executed important orders including a significant number of battlefield surveillance radar (short range), an indigenously designed, portable, ground-based radar developed by the LRDE; the flycatcher radar; an all weather anti-aircraft weapon control system and reporter radar, a tactical control radar system, for the Army.