History of CESC Limited

Incorporated in 1978, CESC Limited is involved in the business of generating and distributing electricity in Howrah and Kolkata. This is a flagship company of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. In April 1899, Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation Limited’s first thermal plant was commissioned. By 1902, people in Calcutta got used to electricity and started using bulbs and refrigerators. In 1986, the company secured a contract to erect its Lalmatia (Bihar) 220/132 KV substation. In the same year, they got another contract from BHEL to erect a 400 KV substation at Kolaghat (West Bengal). In 1987, the company’s name was changed to CESC Limited. In 1991, the company proposed establishing a 3x250 MW coal fired thermal power station at Balagarh. In the next year, CESC Limited planned to implement a project with a substantial 1,500 MW capacity across three stages. In the initial phase, 2 x 250 MW units (500 MW) will be completed, followed by an additional 500 MW unit in the second stage and another in the third. In 1993, necessary approvals were secured, and a turnkey agreement was signed with Rolls Royce Power Generation System for project execution. In 1995, a new company, Integrated Coal Mining Pvt. Ltd was promoted by the company for coal mining, which was followed by another company in 1996, Balagarh Power Company, to set up a 1,500 MW thermal power plant. In 1998, CESC Limited celebrated its 100th year of supplying electricity to Calcutta. In 2004, they partnered with Hindustan Lever Ltd to send out Pepsodent toothpaste samples all over the city. In 2012, CESC Ltd finalised agreements to acquire two hydroelectric power projects from the Indiabulls Group with a combined capacity of 146 MW in Arunachal Pradesh. To facilitate this acquisition, the company has purchased all the shares of Pachi Hydro Power Projects Limited and Papu Hydropower Projects Limited. In 2015, the company launched a mobile application for the convenience of customers. In 2016, they got a power supply order in Rajasthan. As of March 2023, CESC Limited has a 567 Sq Km area licensed for power distribution in West Bengal, where it caters to 3.5 million customers.

Business Segments of CESC Limited 

• Kolkata Operations: Under this segment, the company generates and distributes electricity across its licensed area in Howrah, Kolkata, Hooghly, North and South 24 Parganas.
• Generation Projects: Under this, the company’s subsidiaries own and operate renewable and thermal projects.
• Distribution Ventures: In this segment, the company’s subsidiaries are involved in the distribution of power at Bharatpur, Bikaner and Kota in Rajasthan.

As of March 31, 2023, there are 18 subsidiaries of CESC Limited and a few of them are as follows:

• Haldia Energy Limited: This wholly-owned subsidiary of the company operates a 600 MW power generation station at Haldia.

• Dhariwal Infrastructure Limited: This wholly-owned subsidiary of the company is engaged in power generation through its 2x300 MW thermal power plant.

• Noida Power Company Limited: This wholly-owned subsidiary of the company distributes power in Noida.

Key Personalities of CESC Limited

Dr Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman Vikram Somany is the Chairman and Managing Director of CESC Limited and the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group. The group’s businesses are around various sectors, such as retail, IT and education, carbon black, media and entertainment, natural resources and power. Currently, he is also the Honorary Consul of Canada in Kolkata.