Central Electronics Limited

What Central Electronics Limited does

Central Electronics Limited (CEL) is a Government of India Mini Ratna Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology. Established on 26 June 1974 and headquartered in Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh, the company manufactures indigenously developed electronic systems across four business lines: solar photovoltaic products (cells, panels, BIPV, battery energy storage, water pumping, street/home lighting, mini-grids, smart trees, lanterns), railway signaling (RDSO-approved digital axle counters including SSDAC-710P, HASSDAC-720P, MSDAC-730P, and DAC-RS232, plus broken rail detection and turnkey signaling projects), strategic defense electronics (piezoelectric ceramics, microwave electronics, ferrite phase shifters, Dhristhi surveillance, advanced furnaces/ovens), and an Integrated Solution Division offering security and surveillance, IoT, command and control centres, and project management consultancy.

The company serves primarily government and government-aligned customers — notably Indian Railways (for which it is the sole CPSE-approved axle counter supplier PAN India), major ports (it deployed India's first port-level anti-drone system at V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority), and central/state defense establishments (including a 10-year Sahana Defence contract for electronic warfare equipment manufacturing). Revenue is generated through hardware sales under government procurement (GeM, e-tender, direct supply), a revenue-sharing wind turbine arrangement with Necon Clean Energy, and a Green Tier-III Data Centre partnership with ESDS under UP Data Centre Policy 2021.

FY 2024-25 turnover was ₹390 crore with a 27% rise in profits. Recent strategic moves include commissioning a 200 MW Solar Module Manufacturing Line in May 2026, the foundation of a 30 MVA/600-rack Tier-III data centre in June 2025, and expansion into wind turbine production and electronic warfare manufacturing. CEL is positioned as a strategic asset for India's indigenization agenda under the Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Digital India, Net-Zero 2070, and Viksit Bharat 2047 initiatives, with CMD Chetan Prakash Jain credited for leading the operational turnaround from near-disinvestment to Mini Ratna status conferred in 2024.

Name

Central Electronics Limited

Legal name

Central Electronics Limited

Website

https://celindia.co.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Central Electronics Limited (CEL) is a Government of India Mini Ratna Category-I CPSE under DSIR that manufactures solar photovoltaic products, RDSO-approved digital axle counters for Indian Railways, strategic defense electronics, and security and surveillance systems for government clients across railways, ports, and defense.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Electronics & Renewable Energy Manufacturing

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (3353), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Electronic Coils, Transformers & Other Inductors (3677)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAMAHAA

Solar PV Module & Cell Manufacturing (Crystalline, Thin-Film)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Hydro & Geothermal)/Renewable Equipment & Component Manufacturing (Modules, Turbines, Inverters, Towers, Blades)

SECONDARYEUACAGAC

PV Balance of System (BOS) & Electrical Infrastructure (Inverters, Transformers, Cabling, Substations)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Electric Power Generation/Solar Power Generation (Utility-Scale PV & CSP)

SECONDARYEUAMABAB

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Hydro & Geothermal)/Solar Energy (PV, CSP, Rooftop & Utility-Scale)

Keywords

• Solar photovoltaic manufacturing
• Railway signaling equipment
• Defense electronics systems
• Anti-drone security systems
• Integrated surveillance solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sahibabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Solar Photovoltaic Products: Manufacturing and supply of solar photovoltaic cells, panels, and integrated solar power systems including BIPV, BESS, solar pumping, street lighting, and mini grids. The company commissioned a 200 MW Solar Module Manufacturing Line in May 2026.
2. Railway Signaling Equipment: Manufacturing and supply of Digital Axle Counters (SSDAC, HASSDAC, MSDAC) to Indian Railways. CEL is the only CPSE approved by RDSO for these products across PAN India with 42+ years of experience.
3. Strategic Electronics & Defense: Production of ferrite phase shifters, piezoelectric ceramics, microwave electronics, and advanced furnace/oven systems for defense applications. Also exploring RBSN Radomes technology transfer with CGCRI for missile systems.
4. Security & Surveillance Systems: Integrated security solutions including anti-drone systems for ports, security and surveillance systems, and command and control centers for government and infrastructure clients.
5. Wind Energy Products: Revenue-sharing contract with Necon Clean Energy Pvt. Ltd. to manufacture Vertical Axis Wind Turbines in India, supporting clean power generation under Make in India.
6. Data Center Services: Green Tier-III Data Centre with 30 MVA capacity and 600 racks, developed in partnership with ESDS, positioned under UP Data Centre Policy 2021.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Central Electronics Limited (CEL) manufactures indigenously developed solar photovoltaic cells and panels, railway signaling digital axle counters approved by RDSO, strategic defense electronics (ferrite phase shifters, piezoelectric ceramics, microwave electronics), and integrated security and surveillance systems (including anti-drone systems). The company supplies these products to Indian Railways, defense establishments, ports, and government agencies, alongside retail solar products for off-grid and rooftop applications.

Product overview

Central Electronics Limited (CEL) is a Mini Ratna Category-I Government of India Enterprise operating under DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology. The company operates as a diversified defense electronics and renewable energy manufacturer with three primary business divisions: Solar Photovoltaic (including cells, panels, power plants, building-integrated systems, battery storage, and solar applications like water pumping, street lighting, and mini-grids), Railway Signaling (manufacturing RDSO-approved digital axle counters including Single Section Digital Axle Counter (SSDAC-710P), High Availability SSDAC (HASSDAC-720P), Multi-Section Digital Axle Counter (MSDAC-730P), and DAC-RS232), and Strategic Electronics (including piezoelectric ceramics, microwave electronics, Dhristhi indigenous defense systems, and advanced furnace/oven manufacturing). Additionally, CEL provides Integrated Solution Division services including Security and Surveillance (anti-drone systems with radar and RF detection), IoT solutions, IT services, Command and Control Centres, Computer Based Assessment, and Project Management Consultancy. Recent initiatives include a 200 MW Automated Solar Module Manufacturing Plant, Green Tier-III Data Centre (30 MVA, 600 racks), Vertical Axis Wind Turbine production, and Electronic Warfare Equipment manufacturing facilities. The company has over 50 years of service to the nation, having manufactured India's first solar cell in 1977.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar Photovoltaic Cells & Panels Pioneer Indian manufacturer of solar photovoltaic cells and modules serving solar developers, utilities, and government electrification programs; CEL manufactured India's first solar cell in 1977 and continues as a major domestic solar module producer.
• Solar Power Plants Utility-scale solar power generation facilities utilizing CEL's domestically manufactured photovoltaic technology for renewable energy developers and government electrification programs.
• Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV)
• Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
• Solar Water Pumping System
• Solar Street Lighting System
• Solar Home Lighting System
• Solar Mini Grids
• Solar Lantern
• Smart Board Manufacturing Unit (SBMU)
• SSDAC-710P Single Section Digital Axle Counter
• HASSDAC-720P High Availability Single Section Digital Axle Counter
• MSDAC-730P Multi-Section Digital Axle Counter
• DAC-RS232
• Turnkey Project for Signaling Equipment of Railway
• Piezoelectric Ceramics
• Microwave Electronics
• Dhristhi
• Furnace
• Oven
• Anti-Drone System Radio frequency and radar-based drone detection and jamming system providing 360-degree coverage with up to 5km range for port, coastal, and critical infrastructure security serving ports, defense, and infrastructure authorities.
• Green Tier-III Data Centre State-of-the-art Green Tier-III Data Centre with 30 MVA capacity and 600 racks, among the first developed by a CPSE, aligned with UP Data Centre Policy 2021.
• Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Wind turbine products manufactured under revenue-sharing contract with Necon Clean Energy Pvt. Ltd. for local clean power generation.
• IoT Solutions
• Command and Control Centre
• Project Management Consultancy

Quantifiable outcome

• FY 2024-25 turnover of ₹390 crore with 27% rise in profits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sahana DefencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Sahana Defence (subsidiary of Sahana System) secured long-term contract from CEL to establish and operate Electronic Warfare Equipment and Weapon Periphery Manufacturing Facility at Sahibabad in Uttar Pradesh. Contract initial tenure of 10 years, extendable by 5 years, under Make in India initiative. Project serves as scalable platform for indigenous defence manufacturing, technology development, and commercialisation of mission-critical defence solutions supporting India's self-reliance.
• Necon Clean Energy Pvt. Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026CEL and Necon Clean Energy signed revenue-sharing contract to manufacture Vertical Axis Wind Turbines in India. Deal aims to boost sustainable manufacturing and clean power capacity under Make in India initiative.
• V.O. Chidambaranar Port AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority signed agreement with CEL for radio frequency and radar-based drone detection and jamming system providing 360-degree coverage. VOC Port became the first Indian port to implement advanced Anti-Drone System. Project aligned with Maritime India Vision 2030 for coastal and port infrastructure security. Completed within three months.
• ESDSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025CEL partnered with ESDS for development of Green Tier-III Data Centre of 30 MVA capacity having 600 racks. First such data centre developed by a CPSE under UP Data Centre Policy 2021.
• CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research)coreTechnology or IntegrationCEL is under DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology and works with CSIR labs including CGCRI for technology transfer of Reaction Bonded Silicon Nitride (RBSN) Radomes for advanced missile systems. CMD visited CGCRI Kolkata to explore technology absorption.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tata Power Solar Systems: Large Indian solar EPC and module manufacturer under the Tata group. Comparable to CEL across solar modules, rooftop/EPC, and utility-scale solar, with deeper private-sector capital and execution capabilities.
• Adani Solar: Vertically integrated solar manufacturing and EPC arm of the Adani group. Direct peer to CEL's solar modules and power plants, with vastly larger scale and aggressive capacity expansion plans.
• Waaree Energies: One of India's largest solar PV module manufacturers with multi-GW capacity. Comparable to CEL's solar PV cell/module manufacturing business and represents the kind of private-sector scale competitor CEL is scaling to match via its 200 MW line.
• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL): India's premier defence electronics PSU, manufacturing radars, EW systems, and strategic electronics. Directly comparable to CEL's defence, microwave, and surveillance businesses, with much larger scale and a similar CPSE/government-buyer orientation.
• Vikram Solar: Indian crystalline solar module manufacturer serving utility, rooftop, and export markets. Comparable on solar module manufacturing product mix, though more export-oriented and private-sector-led.
• HBL Power Systems: Indian manufacturer of industrial batteries, electronic equipment, and railway signaling products. Closely comparable to CEL's railway axle counter franchise and select electronics lines, serving railways and industrial customers.
• Premier Energies: Indian integrated solar cell and module manufacturer scaling capacity under the PLI scheme. Direct peer on solar PV manufacturing, competing with CEL for the same domestic-manufacturing tailwinds.

Emerging players

• ideaForge Technology: Indian drone manufacturer serving defence, homeland security, and enterprise markets. Comparable to CEL's anti-drone detection/jamming and surveillance business on the counter-UAS and security side.
• Zen Technologies: Indian defence-tech firm specializing in anti-drone systems, training simulators, and counter-UAS solutions. Comparable to CEL's anti-drone and EW systems franchise, with sharper focus on the same niche.

Regional players

• Sify Technologies (Sify Infinit Spaces): Indian data-centre and digital infrastructure operator. Comparable to CEL's Green Tier-III Data Centre initiative, with substantially larger footprint and more commercial colocation exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/celbharat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Electronics Limited