BHEL responded to an inquiry regarding news about the Centre relaxing Land Border norms for its tenders. BHEL confirmed receiving an Office Memorandum (OM) from the Department of Expenditure (DoE) dated March 27, 2026. This OM grants relaxation under GFR Rule 144(xi) for procuring 21 items from countries sharing land borders with India for a period of five years. BHEL stated no negotiations were held, but confirmed the necessary internal communications regarding compliance were completed by January 6, 2026.
Official Response to Media Query
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) issued a formal clarification on March 31, 2026, in response to a news item published on the Economic Times website dated March 27, 2026, concerning the relaxation of Land Border norms for BHEL tenders.
Key Regulatory Update Confirmed
BHEL confirmed receipt of Office Memorandum (OM) No F.7/10/2021-PPD(II) from the Department of Expenditure (DoE), Ministry of Finance, dated March 27, 2026. This communication formally accords relaxation to BHEL under Rule 144(xi) of the General Financial Rules (GFR). This relaxation pertains to the procurement of 21 specific items from entities representing countries sharing land borders with India, applicable for a period of five years.
Clarifications on Preceding Events
Addressing the query on prior engagements, BHEL stated there were no ongoing negotiations related to this matter. However, BHEL confirmed that a communication was received from the DoE via its Administrative Ministry on December 31, 2025. This sought details regarding equipment procurement from non-border sharing countries due to the existing GFR rule 144(XI). BHEL provided the requisite inputs to the Administrative Ministry on January 6, 2026.
Awareness of Market Movement
Regarding knowledge of non-public announcements that could affect trading, BHEL explicitly stated that it is not aware of any such information. The company clarified that the basis of the news item stems from communications issued by the Government, which are outside BHEL’s control and cannot be predicted in advance.
Regulatory and Legal Status
The company affirmed that there are no pending regulatory or legal proceedings related to the subject matter.
The communication was signed by Jaya Mitra, Manager, Corporate Communication, for Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.
Source: BSE
