MUMBAI (India CSR®): Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a public sector defence electronics company under the Ministry of Defence, reported an unspent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) amount of Rs 75.36 crore for the financial year 2025–26 against its prescribed CSR obligation of Rs 107.79 crore. The company spent Rs 32.43 crore during the year and transferred Rs 75.21 crore to its designated Unspent CSR Account on April 30, 2026, for ongoing development projects. Its CSR disclosures also reported approximately 21.42 lakh beneficiaries across healthcare, education, rural development, skill development and other social initiatives.
The financial disclosures show that a substantial portion of BEL’s annual CSR obligation remained unspent at the end of March 2026. The company attributed the balance mainly to ongoing projects requiring implementation over multiple financial years.
According to the company’s CSR report, expenditure on such projects follows implementation schedules and payment milestones. The funds transferred to the Unspent CSR Account are intended to support approved activities in subsequent years.
BEL CSR Spending
BEL reported a turnover of approximately Rs 26,680 crore and profit after tax of Rs 6,048 crore during FY 2025–26. Its average net profit calculated for CSR purposes under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, stood at Rs 5,389.39 crore.
Based on the statutory requirement to spend at least 2% of the average net profits of the preceding three financial years, the company’s prescribed CSR obligation was Rs 107.79 crore.
Against this obligation, BEL incurred CSR expenditure of Rs 32.43 crore during the financial year. The remaining Rs 75.36 crore was classified as unspent CSR funds.
The expenditure included Rs 27.24 crore towards CSR projects, Rs 5.13 crore towards administrative overheads and Rs 5.78 lakh towards impact assessment activities.
Key Facts: BEL CSR Spending FY 2025–26
| Financial Particulars | Amount |
|---|---|
| Average Net Profit | Rs 5,389.39 Cr |
| Prescribed CSR Obligation | Rs 107.79 Cr |
| Actual CSR Expenditure | Rs 32.43 Cr |
| Direct Project Expenditure | Rs 27.24 Cr |
| Administrative Overheads | Rs 5.13 Cr |
| Impact Assessment | Rs 5.78 Lakh |
| Total Unspent CSR Amount | Rs 75.36 Cr |
| Transfer to Unspent CSR Account | Rs 75.21 Cr |
| Non-Ongoing Project Balance | Rs 14.22 Lakh |
Source: BEL FY 2025–26 CSR financial disclosures, as provided in the source material. Figures are rounded where appropriate.
Unspent Fund Transfers
Of the total unspent CSR amount, BEL transferred Rs 75,21,44,086.28 to its designated Unspent CSR Account on April 30, 2026.
The transfer relates to ongoing projects covered under Section 135(6) of the Companies Act, 2013. The provision requires companies to transfer unspent CSR amounts relating to eligible ongoing projects into a special account within 30 days of the financial year-end.
Such funds must subsequently be utilised within the period prescribed under the Act, subject to applicable statutory conditions.
The remaining Rs 14.22 lakh was identified as an unspent amount relating to non-ongoing projects. Under Section 135(5), such amounts must be transferred to a fund specified in Schedule VII within six months of the financial year-end.
The source material identifies this amount as earmarked for transfer but does not confirm its actual transfer date or receiving fund.
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Multi-Year Project Funding
BEL’s disclosures indicate that the unspent amount largely relates to development projects requiring more than one financial year for completion.
Healthcare infrastructure, medical equipment installation, hospital facilities and educational infrastructure projects often involve construction, procurement, institutional coordination and phased implementation.
The company stated that these projects are undertaken in project mode, with payments linked to implementation milestones.
This approach means that funds approved for a particular CSR project may not be fully spent during the financial year in which the allocation is made.
However, transferring funds into an Unspent CSR Account does not itself constitute completed CSR expenditure or establish project impact. Actual utilisation, project completion and outcomes remain important indicators for evaluating the implementation of these commitments.
Previous Years’ Balances
BEL’s financial disclosures also provide information about unspent CSR amounts carried forward from earlier financial years.
During FY 2025–26, the company reported expenditure against allocations made in previous years, indicating continued implementation of earlier approved projects.
| Financial Year | Original Unspent Allocation | Spent During FY 2025–26 | Reported Remaining Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Rs 52.50 Cr | Rs 17.82 Cr | Rs 34.69 Cr |
| 2023–24 | Rs 38.42 Cr | Rs 8.80 Cr | Rs 18.04 Cr |
| 2022–23 | Rs 30.82 Cr | Rs 13.37 Cr | Rs 1.57 Cr |
| 2021–22 | Rs 22.56 Cr | Rs 80.52 Lakh | Nil |
The figures indicate that BEL continued to utilise funds from earlier financial years during FY 2025–26.
The company also reported an opening CSR provision of Rs 95.32 crore, an additional provision of Rs 75.36 crore and utilisation of Rs 41.03 crore during the year. The closing provision was reported at approximately Rs 129.65 crore as of March 31, 2026.
This cumulative provision should be distinguished from the Rs 75.36 crore unspent amount relating specifically to FY 2025–26.
Healthcare and Education
Healthcare accounted for a major part of BEL’s planned CSR activities. The company reported a planned allocation of approximately Rs 66.66 crore across 22 healthcare projects.
These included medical infrastructure and equipment support at the Yadgir Institute of Medical Sciences in Karnataka, maternal and child healthcare facilities in Bhadradri Kothagudem in Telangana, and Image Guided Therapy infrastructure at NIMS Hyderabad.
BEL also reported CSR activities in aspirational districts, including Raichur and Yadgir in Karnataka, Malkangiri in Odisha, Bhadradri Kothagudem in Telangana and Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu.
The reported spending included Rs 11.58 crore in Raichur and Yadgir, Rs 2.69 crore in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Rs 2.36 crore in Malkangiri and Rs 1.02 crore in Ramanathapuram.
In education, the company’s initiatives included KYAN smart classroom facilities across 30 government schools in Telangana.
Other activities covered skill development, rural development, women’s empowerment and welfare support for armed forces veterans and their families.
The CSR disclosures reported 21,42,219 beneficiaries across different sectors, including 20,57,076 under healthcare, 32,251 under education, 50,000 under rural development and 2,392 under skill development.
These are reported beneficiary figures and should not be interpreted as independently verified long-term outcomes.
CSR Governance Oversight
BEL’s CSR Committee, chaired by Manoj Jain, held four meetings during FY 2025–26 to review CSR activities and related matters.
The company’s disclosures also referred to the reconstitution of the committee on May 21, 2025, following vacancies involving independent director positions.
The source material identifies RAO & EMMAR as the statutory audit firm and Sustainability Actions Private Limited as an external agency engaged for impact assessment activities.
Independent assessment and statutory reporting form part of the mechanisms used to review CSR spending, implementation and compliance.
The reported unspent amount also highlights the importance of monitoring project timelines, verifying fund utilisation and disclosing measurable outcomes.
For FY 2025–26, BEL’s CSR records show a difference between its prescribed annual obligation and expenditure incurred during the year, with most of the balance transferred for ongoing projects.
The subsequent utilisation of these funds, completion of healthcare and education infrastructure, and disclosure of project-level outcomes will be important for assessing the company’s CSR performance in future reporting periods.
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