BEL net up 30.26% to Rs 581 cr

CORPORATE SCORECARD

Defence undertaking Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) reported net profit at Rs 581 crore in the financial year ended March 2006, a rise of 30.26 per cent over the Rs 446 crore recorded last year.

Turnover increased to Rs 3,561 crore from Rs 3,212 crore last year, said Y Gopala Rao, chairman and managing director.

Defence supplies continued to be the main forte of BEL accounting for about Rs 3,000 crore in turnover as against Rs 2,800 crore last year. The civil business value was reported at Rs 500 crore.

"We do not want to depend only on defence as security needs keep changing. We need to do the balancing act with civilian business," Rao said, adding the target was to ensure that 20 to 25 per cent of business was in civil area.