Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), a Government of India undertaking and one of the world’s leading power equipment manufacturers, brings its legacy of engineering excellence into a distinctive range of handcrafted porcelain artefacts through its Solar Business Division (SBD), Bengaluru.

For decades, BHEL SBD has been at the forefront of manufacturing high-performance electro-porcelain insulators. Leveraging the same high-grade ceramic materials and precision kiln-firing processes used in these critical industrial applications, BHEL has developed a premium collection of porcelain artefacts that embody both strength and elegance.

The range includes finely crafted decorative vases, pen stands, and spiritual idols of Lord Shiva, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, Buddha, and Adiyogi. Each piece is meticulously hand-crafted and kiln-fired to achieve superior durability, dimensional stability, and a refined finish—reflecting BHEL’s uncompromising standards of quality.

Rooted in a rich legacy, the SBD facility at Malleshwaram, Bengaluru—whose foundation was laid in 1954 by His Highness Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Bahadur—continues to evolve as a center of excellence in clay-based manufacturing, contributing to India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission and advancing clean energy technologies.

What truly distinguishes BHEL porcelain artefacts is their meaningful social impact. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, BHEL empowers differently abled women by providing them dignified employment within its manufacturing ecosystem. These skilled artisans craft each artefact with care, precision, and devotion, transforming industrial capability into human-centered value.

Designed for corporate gifting, institutional procurement, CSR initiatives, and premium décor, BHEL porcelain artefacts represent a rare convergence of engineering strength, artistic craftsmanship, and social responsibility—products that not only endure, but also inspire.

CTI was set up by BHEL in 1989 with UNDP assistance, with the objective of supporting the Indian Ceramic Industry in modernising technology and developing new products and processes in the emerging field of advanced ceramics.

Objectives of CTI:

• Conduct applied research on various aspects of ceramic materials
• Upgrade technology from laboratory to pilot plant scale prior to commercial production
• Provide consultancy and engineering services

Areas of Activity:

• Beneficiation of raw materials
• Material testing
• Refractories
• Ceramic coatings
• Energy saving systems
• Electronic ceramics
• Wear resistant materials
• Technical ceramics
• Traditional ceramics and other frontier/strategic areas
• Consultancy for ceramics industries

The Institute has state-of-the-art equipment and a well-equipped pilot plant for meeting its objectives.

Insulator Customers:
POWERGRID, NTPC, State Electricity Boards, EPC Contractors, Independent Power Producers, Railways, and OEMs such as ABB, Alsthom, AREVA, TELK, Vijay Electricals, and many more. CBU is also a major supplier of Disc, Hollow, and Station Post Insulators in India.

Wear Resistant Product Customers:
CBU has a major presence in wear-prone applications in coal-fired Thermal Power Stations, Cement, and Steel sectors. Key customers include NTPC, DVC, Jindal, Tata Power, Nalco, Hindalco, HZL, Torrent Power, State Electricity Boards, SAIL, and Cement companies.

Manufacturing processes — from raw material selection to finished products — are carried out through a series of stringent quality checks. Various body compositions comprising minerals like alumina, quartz, felsites, feldspar, and pyrophylite have been developed through comprehensive R&D.

1. a) High Tension Insulators
   Routine tests include Temperature Cycle, Hydraulic Pressure, Porosity, Puncture, Mechanical and Electromechanical, Ultrasonic, and Electrical tests. BHEL insulators have received certifications from KEMA (Holland), CESI (Italy), IREQ (Canada), STRI (Sweden), and Zkusebnictvi (Czech Republic). Special tests like Thermal-Mechanical Performance, Steep Front Wave, and Power Arc are also conducted.
2. b) Wear Resistant Materials
   Quality checks on routine and sample basis, including type tests for flexural strength, compressive strength, and wear tests.

"BHEL Insulators should be welcomed into the UK as First Class products manufactured within a First Class Manufacturing plant by a committed, Quality Conscious workforce."
— Chris Adkin, Procurement Manager, Eve Transmission, UK

"Ceralin Lined Orifices supplied to BTPS have given double the life compared with NiHard."
— Kulvinder Singh, Supdt., BMD-1, BTPS, NTPC, New Delhi

"Performance of Ceralin Lined Bends of Unit I & II are found very satisfactory since commissioning."
— Dy. Chief Engineer (Gen), 210 MW TPS, MSEB, Khaperkheda, Maharashtra

"My colleagues and I found the collaboration with BHEL during testing of insulators very professional. I congratulate BHEL for having technically skilled and quality-minded engineers."
— President, STRI, Sweden