Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is accelerating its digital transformation journey to evolve from a traditional manufacturing PSU into a data-driven, digitally integrated enterprise aligned with India’s infrastructure ambitions. In an exclusive interaction, Vivek Pathak, Head & Additional General Manager (IT), Digital Transformation Group, BHEL, Bhopal, explains how the organisation is embedding Industry 4.0 technologies, advanced analytics, real-time production monitoring, enterprise digital platforms, and robust cybersecurity frameworks to enhance project execution, operational transparency, and smart manufacturing across its units.
BHEL’s digital transformation journey is redefining public sector manufacturing through end-to-end digital integration, real-time traceability, smart quality systems, and data-driven decision-making. By embedding Industry 4.0 technologies, cybersecurity, and intelligent monitoring into core operations, BHEL is building a transparent, efficient, and future-ready enterprise aligned with national infrastructure ambitions.
As AGM (IT) of the Digital Transformation Group, how are you steering BHEL’s transition from a traditional manufacturing PSU to a project-centric, digitally enabled enterprise?
As AGM (IT) in the Digital Transformation Group, the mandate has been to architect and accelerate BHEL’s transition from a traditional manufacturing-centric Public Sector Undertaking into a project-centric, digitally enabled enterprise anchored in data, integration, and execution discipline.
The transformation journey has required a fundamental shift in mindset. Historically, manufacturing excellence was measured largely by output volumes and plant efficiency. Today, the focus has expanded toward end-to-end project lifecycle visibility, integrating engineering, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, finance, contracts, and site execution into a unified digital ecosystem. This enables proactive risk identification, schedule adherence, tighter cost governance, and improved coordination across geographically dispersed units and project sites.
A transformative initiative has been the Suvidha Portal – an end-to-end digital invoice lifecycle platform. It enables vendors and contractors to upload invoices digitally, track real-time status, and receive transparent payment updates across all categories—purchase, transport, medical, empanelment, and contractual bills. This has resulted in faster turnaround times, improved accountability, and strengthened stakeholder trust.
On the internal front, the myBHEL mobile application has accelerated employee digital enablement. By integrating HR services, digital approvals, workflow tracking, and organisational communication into a mobile-first interface, it has improved agility, reduced administrative delays, and empowered decision-making at multiple levels.
Additionally, through Remote Diagnostics and Monitoring Systems, we are embedding predictive analytics into deployed equipment, transforming BHEL from a product supplier into a lifecycle solutions partner.
Collectively, through ERP integration, analytics adoption, digital governance frameworks, and secure infrastructure, BHEL is shifting from manufacturing output orientation to digitally empowered, outcome-driven project execution aligned with global standards.
BHEL has deployed enterprise-level Advanced Analytics and BI tools. Can you share specific industrial use cases where data-driven decision-making has significantly improved operational efficiency or project execution?
BHEL’s enterprise-wide Advanced Analytics and BI platforms have shifted decision-making from reactive reporting to predictive, data-driven intelligence.
In project execution, integrated BI dashboards consolidate engineering, procurement, manufacturing, and site data, enabling early detection of milestone slippages, material bottlenecks, and cost variances. This ensures proactive intervention and improved project predictability.
On the shop floor, BHEL has implemented MOLA. MOLA is an artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT-based monitoring system for Industry 4.0 applications, often referred to as “Machine Heartbeat” to monitor machine health and data. MOLA enhances manufacturing by providing real-time data on CNC machines, such as axis current, for analysis on servers. It also provided real-time production analytics to identify downtime trends, inefficiencies, and quality deviations—enhancing Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), throughput, and process optimisation.
Financial BI dashboards provide leadership with real-time visibility into cash flows, receivables, vendor liabilities, and cost-performance metrics, strengthening governance.
Overall, analytics has enabled faster decision cycles, improved cost control, enhanced execution certainty, and greater operational transparency across BHEL’s internal and external infrastructure.
The Integrated Real-Time Production Management System has won national recognition. How is this system transforming shop-floor visibility, productivity and real-time decision-making across manufacturing units?
The Integrated Real-Time Production Management System (IRTPMS), recognised with the ET Government PSU Leadership & Excellence Award 2025, has transformed shop-floor visibility and productivity.
By integrating machine utilisation, production status, quality checkpoints, and material flow into a unified platform, IRTPMS delivers real-time operational transparency across manufacturing units.
Supervisors and plant leadership now access live dashboards that enable instant identification of bottlenecks, downtime patterns, and cycle-time deviations. This has improved resource allocation, throughput optimisation, and faster corrective actions.
Digitised production tracking enhances traceability, quality control, and accountability, reducing rework and strengthening process discipline.
Importantly, integration with enterprise systems ensures alignment between manufacturing output and project execution timelines, improving delivery reliability.
IRTPMS represents BHEL’s commitment to embedding digital intelligence at the core of shop-floor operations, resulting in measurable gains in productivity, visibility, and real-time decision-making.
Cybersecurity is becoming critical for strategic PSUs. How is DTG strengthening BHEL’s cyber defence posture, particularly with increased ERP centralisation and real-time digital infrastructure?
Cybersecurity has evolved from being an IT support function to becoming a strategic pillar for national infrastructure protection, particularly for organisations such as BHEL that operate in the power and heavy engineering sectors. As ERP centralisation, digital integration, and real-time operational visibility expand, the attack surface correspondingly increases. Recognising this, the Digital Transformation Group (DTG) has adopted a multi-layered, standards-driven, and future-ready cyber defence architecture.
A key milestone was the consolidation of multiple unit-level certifications into a single Corporate-wide ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS). This step ensured uniform risk governance, standardised security controls, centralised audit oversight, and consistent policy enforcement across all units. Rather than fragmented compliance, BHEL now operates under a harmonised security governance framework aligned with global best practices.
On the technology front, a state-of-the-art cybersecurity stack has been deployed. A centralised Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform enables real-time log aggregation and correlation across enterprise systems. This is supported by a 24×7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) for continuous threat monitoring, incident response, and rapid containment. Advanced User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA) solutions enhance anomaly detection by identifying deviations from normal behavioural baselines. Additionally, cloud-based Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) safeguards critical digital interfaces against modern application-layer threats.
With growing IT-OT integration, we follow IEC 62443 standards, maintaining strict network segmentation and tightly controlled IT-OT boundaries while capturing shop-floor data.
Infrastructure consolidation has further strengthened resilience. The centralised data centre at BHEL Hyderabad, complemented by a robust Disaster Recovery (DR) site at BHEL Haridwar, has reduced redundancy, minimised security blind spots, optimised costs, and enabled centralised monitoring and governance.
Additionally, Zero Trust architecture ensures no user or device is trusted by default, enforcing continuous authentication, least-privilege access, and micro-segmentation, limiting lateral threat movement.
Collectively, these measures position BHEL with a resilient, scalable, and nationally aligned cybersecurity posture — one capable of safeguarding strategic infrastructure while supporting accelerated digital transformation.
The Integrated Motor Management System for the Vande Bharat Project earned a Gold award. How does this initiative reflect BHEL’s broader digital innovation strategy in supporting national infrastructure missions?
The award-winning Integrated Motor Management System (IMMS) developed for the Vande Bharat project represents a significant leap in digital manufacturing governance and customer transparency at BHEL.
Recognised with a Gold Award at the ET Government PSU Leadership & Excellence Awards 2025, the system goes far beyond operational monitoring. It establishes complete material traceability across the manufacturing lifecycle — from the moment raw material is procured to the final dispatch of traction motor components integrated into Vande Bharat trainsets.
The platform digitally captures:
- Material procurement details at the purchase stage
- GRN (Goods Receipt Note) validation and inward inspection records
- Exact storage location and inventory tracking
- Shop-floor utilisation mapping
- Operator-level traceability
- Stage-wise quality inspection records
- Final assembly and dispatch documentation
Every component can be traced backwards and forward through the production chain, ensuring full accountability and auditability.
This initiative provides customers — including national rail authorities — with complete end-to-end visibility into the manufacturing process, enhancing confidence, compliance assurance, and quality governance. It enables digital validation of quality checkpoints, minimises manual intervention, and strengthens documentation integrity for mission-critical infrastructure.
By embedding traceability directly into the production ecosystem, BHEL has demonstrated how digital systems can reinforce precision manufacturing, regulatory compliance, and customer transparency in high-stakes national projects.
The IMMS initiative exemplifies BHEL’s broader digital strategy — integrating enterprise systems, shop-floor data, quality governance, and customer visibility into a single digital backbone. It reflects a shift from conventional manufacturing oversight to digitally auditable, fully traceable, and intelligence-driven production ecosystems, aligned with India’s strategic infrastructure ambitions.
What major digital transformation or IT modernisation projects are currently in the pipeline at BHEL and how will they further strengthen operational efficiency, cybersecurity and project execution capabilities?
Ongoing Digital Transformation and IT Modernisation Initiatives at BHEL
BHEL is advancing a series of strategic digital and IT modernisation programmes designed to further enhance operational efficiency, cybersecurity resilience, and project execution excellence. These initiatives are aligned with our broader enterprise transformation strategy and are expected to deliver measurable business value across functions.
- ERP Modernisation Project
The ERP Modernisation Project is a flagship initiative to consolidate, upgrade, and extend BHEL’s core enterprise resource planning capabilities. By migrating to a modern ERP architecture with enhanced integration, workflow automation, and real-time analytics, we are breaking down legacy silos and strengthening enterprise-wide data consistency. This will improve financial controls, enhance supply chain coordination, accelerate decision cycles, and provide a solid foundation for scalable digital growth. - Legacy Application Modernisation using Oracle APEX
To replace disparate and ageing applications, we are transitioning key legacy systems to modern, low-code platforms using Oracle APEX. This modernisation approach accelerates development time, improves maintainability, and provides a unified user experience across business functions. The initiative will optimise internal workflows, reduce technical debt, and enable faster adoption of new business processes without lengthy custom coding cycles. - Enterprise GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance) Portal
We are building a comprehensive GRC Portal that will centralise governance functions such as audit management, regulatory compliance tracking, policy frameworks, and risk assessments. This platform will streamline audit processes, support compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, and provide real-time visibility into control effectiveness across departments. By digitalising compliance oversight, BHEL will strengthen risk management while reducing manual effort and improving audit readiness. - AI Capabilities and Productivity Tools
BHEL is actively studying and prototyping Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities for various enterprise use cases, including predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and intelligent decision support. We are also exploring the implementation of smart productivity tools targeted at office automation — including an enhanced email gateway with advanced threat protection and automation features, workflow optimisation tools, and digital assistants to reduce manual tasks. These tools will help increase workforce productivity, streamline communication flows, and improve overall operational agility.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views or positions of BHEL or any affiliated organisation)
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