Govt plans to make India a power equipment making hub

With four new power equipment manufacturers entering the market, the government is looking to make India a manufacturing hub for electrical machinery.

"Besides the very reliable technology of BHEL-Siemens, we have private players like L&T-Mitsubishi, Toshiba-JSW and Bharat Forge-Alstom joint ventures entering the power equipment manufacturing in India," Power Secretary Anil Razdan said.

This will give power generation companies not only the choice of vendors, with local manufacturing there will be assured availability of parts as well as servicing after supply of equipment.

"We feel that India has a potential to become a manufacturing hub for world class energy efficient thermal equipments. Keeping this in mind, we have consciously promoted supercritical technology for coal-based thermal power stations," he said, adding that "we can provide an export market for these equipment in the years to come."

Asked whether India has the technology for super critical thermal power plants, Razdan said the government is banking on technology from private players and joint venture companies formed recently to carry out manufacturing facilities in the power sector.

There are numerous challenges that the government will have to face in order to fulfil this ambition.