Bajaj Electricals aims Rs 2,200 cr topline in FY 10

CHENNAI: Despite the slow down, Bajaj Electricals is upbeat on growth prospects this year. It is expecting a 22% rise in turnover at Rs 2,200 crore in 2009-10 on the back of an order book of Rs 1,200 crore.

The order book consists of transmission towers, rural electrification and tendering businesses. Last year, 41% of its business came from the engineering and projects business, which, in value terms, amounted to Rs 540 crore. Its turnover for the year ended March 2009 was Rs 1,801 crore.

Stating it has done 60% of the country���s power plants and airport installations, Bajaj Electricals ED Anant Bajaj said the company has executed 43 of the 45 projects for boiler major Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL).
Besides state electricity boards, NTPC is its main PSU customer. It has bagged a Rs 148 crore order from Maharashtra State Electricity Board for transmission line towers. "Order conversion has been good even during the recessionary times," he told reporters here on Saturday.

CMD Shekhar Bajaj said the Chennai branch of Bajaj Electricals has clocked a turnover of Rs 100 crore. Efforts are on to double up this in the current year. The company has chosen the metro to launch its first Green office in the country.

Referring to its strategic business units and also sharing insights on its alliances with Morphy Richards of the UK, Trilux Lenze of Germany and Disney of the US, among others, he said the company���s challenge is to sustain the growth in the recessionary times.

As part of its efforts to focus on the LED technology products, the company plans to invest Rs 30 crore at its Nashik plant, that produces compact fluorescent lights (CFL). It plans to scale up i capacity to 40 million CFLs from the present 10 million units, Mr Bajaj said.

Bajaj Electricals ED R Ramakrishnan said integrated building management solutions and heating, ventilating and air-conditioning or HVAC systems are areas of focus for the company as these new business verticals offer huge growth opportunities.

It has 40 strong vendors across its SBUs and 160 miscellaneous vendors. Less than 6% of its sales have import content from China. Mr Bajaj also said this was the right time to scout for acquisitions.