CESC Limited
An Indian integrated power company that generates electricity and distributes it to consumers in Kolkata and selected cities in Rajasthan.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
CESC Limited is an Indian electricity-generation and power-distribution company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. Historically known as the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation, it is the flagship operating company of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group and is associated with businessman Sanjiv Goenka. The company’s principal regulated distribution franchise covers approximately 567 square kilometres administered by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, making CESC the sole electricity-distribution utility for that core municipal area. Its wider distribution operations also extend into parts of Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas in West Bengal, as well as the Rajasthan cities of Kota, Bikaner and Bharatpur through the CESC Rajasthan business. The company serves approximately three million domestic, commercial and industrial consumers. CESC’s business combines power generation with transmission and distribution. Its traditional generation base is thermal power, supported by peak-load gas-turbine capacity. The reference material identifies four thermal stations with aggregate capacity of 1,225 MW and two 20 MW gas-turbine units used to address periods of high demand. The company also obtains electricity from external suppliers, while more than 80% of its customers’ requirements have historically been met from its own generating plants. Fuel integration has included captive coal resources, with the balance of coal requirements largely supplied by Coal India. CESC has also operated or developed non-conventional energy assets, including a 9 MW solar project in Gujarat, a 50 MW wind project in Rajasthan and planned hydroelectric projects in Arunachal Pradesh. Through Purvah Green Projects, it has pursued a larger renewable-energy portfolio, including an objective of developing 300 MW of solar capacity. The company’s distribution infrastructure includes high-voltage transmission links between generating and receiving stations, distribution substations, high-tension networks and low-tension lines serving homes and smaller consumers. The cited operating description records 474 circuit-kilometres of transmission lines, 85 distribution stations, 3,837 circuit-kilometres of high-tension lines and 9,867 circuit-kilometres of low-tension lines. These assets allow CESC to function as an integrated utility rather than solely as a retail electricity supplier. CESC’s history reaches back to the introduction of electric lighting in Calcutta during the late nineteenth century. After the Bengal government enacted the Calcutta Electric Lighting Act in 1895, the company secured a lighting licence and was registered in London in 1897. Its first thermal station began operating in 1899, an event associated with the early development of thermal electricity generation in India. The company later supplied power to the electrified Calcutta tramway system and built major generation, transmission and distribution assets as the city expanded. Corporate control moved from London to Calcutta in 1970. The enterprise adopted an India-specific corporate name in 1978, became associated with the RPG Group from 1989 and adopted the CESC Limited name as its corporate identity. In 2011 it became part of the newly established RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. CESC has since combined its historic Kolkata franchise with generation and distribution expansion outside West Bengal, while also addressing aging plant assets, environmental constraints and the long-term shift toward renewable electricity.
History
Electricity was demonstrated publicly in Calcutta on 24 July 1879, and electric lighting was later used at a Cotton Mill of Mackinnon & Mackenzie in 1881. These early experiments preceded the formal legal framework for commercial electricity supply. The Government of Bengal passed the Calcutta Electric Lighting Act in 1895, creating the basis for licensed electric lighting in the city. The initial licence covered 5.64 square miles. On 7 January 1897, Kilburn & Co. obtained the Calcutta electric-lighting licence as agents for The Indian Electric Company Limited. The enterprise soon adopted the name Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation Limited and was registered in London during the same year. On 17 April 1899, its first thermal power station was commissioned at Emambagh Lane near Prinsep Street. The station marked an important early step in the development of commercial thermal generation in India. The company expanded as Calcutta’s transport and industrial systems adopted electricity. The Calcutta Tramways Company moved from horse-drawn vehicles to electric operation in 1902. By 1906, three additional generating stations had been established. In 1931, CESC constructed a transmission tunnel beneath the Hooghly River to carry electricity between Kolkata and Howrah. The company moved to Victoria House in Dharmatala in 1933, and that location remains identified with its headquarters. During the 1970s and 1980s, electricity shortages and load-shedding were recurring problems in Kolkata. Performance improved from the 1990s as the company’s generation and distribution system was progressively strengthened. Older facilities nevertheless became increasingly difficult to operate economically and environmentally. Mulajore, a plant opened in 1940, was closed on 15 May 2004. Its output had fallen substantially relative to its nominal capacity, while the plant and the New Cossipore station together generated a relatively small share of CESC’s electricity but employed a disproportionately large workforce. New Cossipore also faced pollution-related constraints and regulatory scrutiny. Corporate control was transferred from London to Calcutta in 1970. The company became The Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (India) Limited in 1978. The RPG Group became associated with the business from 1989, after which the corporate name was changed to CESC Limited. In 2011, CESC became part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, established by Sanjiv Goenka after the separation of that group from the former RPG structure. CESC subsequently broadened its activities beyond the historic Kolkata franchise. It developed or operated generation assets in other Indian states, including the Chandrapur thermal project in Maharashtra, whose first unit was synchronised in September 2013. Its wider portfolio also included gas-turbine peak-load units, solar and wind projects, planned hydroelectric projects and other group-linked captive generation. In distribution, the company expanded into Kota, Bikaner and Bharatpur in Rajasthan under the CESC Rajasthan name. More recently, its renewable-energy expansion has been associated with Purvah Green Projects and a stated ambition to build a 300 MW solar portfolio.
- 2013
Chandrapur generation project reaches synchronisation
[1]The first unit of the 2 × 300 MW Chandrapur thermal project in Maharashtra was synchronised, marking CESC’s first generation project outside West Bengal.
- 2011
CESC joins the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group
[1]CESC became part of the group established by Sanjiv Goenka.
- 2004
Mulajore station is shut down
[1]CESC closed the aging Mulajore generating station in north Kolkata on 15 May.
- 1989
RPG Group association begins
[1]The RPG Group became associated with the company, which later adopted the CESC Limited name.
- 1978
India-specific corporate name adopted
[1]The company became The Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (India) Limited.
- 1970
Control is transferred to Calcutta
[1]Control of the company moved from London to Calcutta.
- 1931
Hooghly transmission tunnel is completed
[1]CESC completed a transmission tunnel under the Hooghly River to connect Kolkata and Howrah.
- 1902
Calcutta tramways adopt electric operation
[1]The Calcutta Tramways Company switched from horse-drawn vehicles to electric traction, increasing the city’s demand for electricity.
- 1899
First thermal power station begins operation
[1]CESC commissioned its first thermal station at Emambagh Lane near Prinsep Street.
- 1897
Company is registered in London
[1]Kilburn & Co. secured the city lighting licence as agent for The Indian Electric Company, which soon became the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation and was registered in London.
Products and positioning
Integrated electricity utility with a historic Kolkata distribution franchise and expanding generation and renewable-energy activities.
Electricity distribution · 1897
Kolkata electricity distribution
CESC distributes electricity across approximately 567 square kilometres administered by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and in adjoining parts of Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. The customer base includes residential, commercial and industrial users. This historic urban franchise remains the company’s core business and is supported by CESC-owned transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Electricity distribution
CESC Rajasthan
CESC Rajasthan is the company’s distribution business in the Rajasthan cities of Kota, Bikaner and Bharatpur. It extends the CESC operating model beyond West Bengal by combining electricity procurement and distribution for domestic, commercial and other consumers in selected urban markets.
Power generation · 1899
Thermal power generation
CESC’s principal generation base has historically consisted of coal-fired thermal power stations. The cited company profile identifies four thermal plants with combined capacity of 1,225 MW. Thermal generation supplies a substantial share of the electricity distributed by the company and is supported by fuel sourcing that includes captive coal resources and purchases from Coal India.
Power generation
Peak-load gas-turbine generation
Two 20 MW gas-turbine units provide additional capacity during periods of peak electricity demand. Their role is to supplement the main generation fleet when demand rises sharply and to help maintain supply reliability.
Renewable power
Renewable-energy portfolio
CESC and related businesses have developed a renewable-energy presence through a 9 MW solar project in Gujarat, a 50 MW wind project in Rajasthan and planned hydroelectric projects in Arunachal Pradesh with combined capacity of 236 MW. Expansion has also been pursued through Purvah Green Projects, including a stated objective of building a 300 MW solar portfolio.
Brand decisions
2013
Expansion into generation outside West BengalGeneration changeBackground
CESC sought to broaden its generation footprint beyond its historic Kolkata and West Bengal base.
Action taken
The first unit of the 2 × 300 MW Chandrapur thermal project in Maharashtra was synchronised. The project was connected to the grid through a planned 400 kV transmission line, and a power-purchase arrangement was described for supply to Tamil Nadu.
Aftermath
The project established CESC’s first generation presence outside West Bengal and increased its role as a multi-state power producer.
2011
Transition into the RP-Sanjiv Goenka GroupM&ABackground
The former RPG structure was reorganised and the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group was formed under Sanjiv Goenka.
Action taken
CESC became part of the newly formed group and continued as its flagship power company.
Aftermath
The transaction aligned CESC with the group’s broader portfolio while preserving its established electricity-generation and Kolkata-distribution operations.
2004
Retirement of the Mulajore power stationGeneration changeBackground
Mulajore had become an inefficient aging asset. Its effective output was low relative to its rated capacity, and the station imposed a substantial workforce and operating burden.
Action taken
CESC shut the plant on 15 May 2004 and later used the 43-acre site for an industrial and residential township project through CESC Properties.
Aftermath
The closure removed an underperforming station from the generation system and enabled redevelopment of the site.
- Renewable-energy expansion through Purvah Green ProjectsStrategy
Background
CESC has sought to diversify beyond conventional thermal generation as renewable power becomes more important in India’s electricity system.
Action taken
Through Purvah Green Projects, the company began developing a renewable-energy portfolio and stated an aim to build 300 MW of solar capacity.
Aftermath
The initiative broadened CESC’s generation strategy toward solar and other renewable technologies, although the available reference does not establish the final delivered capacity.
Sources1 sources
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