CESC Limited is an Indian electricity utility headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is the flagship company of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group and is engaged in the generation and distribution of electrical power. The company holds the licence to distribute electricity across the city of Kolkata and parts of Howrah, serving residential, industrial, and commercial consumers in its licensed area.
| Name | CESC Limited |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric utility (generation and distribution) |
| Headquarters | Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Parent group | RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group |
| Listings | BSE, NSE |
| Service area | Kolkata and parts of Howrah |
CESC traces its origins to the late nineteenth century, when electricity supply was first introduced to Calcutta (now Kolkata). It is among the oldest power utilities in India and has historically been the sole licensed distributor of electricity in the city of Kolkata. The company was previously known as the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation, and "CESC" derives from this earlier name.
CESC operates an integrated business model that combines power generation with distribution. Its generating stations supply a significant portion of the electricity required for its licensed distribution area, while the balance is procured from external sources through the grid.
CESC owns and operates thermal power stations that supply electricity to its Kolkata licensee area. Its principal generating assets have historically included stations such as Budge Budge, Southern, and Titagarh, located in and around the Kolkata metropolitan region. The company has also developed power generation capacity outside West Bengal through subsidiaries.
The distribution business covers Kolkata and adjoining areas of Howrah, with a network of substations, transmission lines, and consumer connections. CESC operates as a vertically integrated utility within its licensed area, handling generation, transmission within its zone, and retail distribution to end consumers.
CESC is part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, a diversified Indian conglomerate with interests in power, retail, carbon black, media, entertainment, and agriculture. The Goenka family has been associated with the company for several decades. CESC has, over time, undertaken corporate restructuring exercises to separate its Kolkata distribution business from other distribution franchises and generation assets held through subsidiaries.
As one of India's earliest electricity utilities and the principal supplier of power in Kolkata, CESC occupies an important place in the history of the Indian power sector. Its long-standing licence over a major metropolitan area makes it a notable example of a private-sector integrated utility operating within a regulated framework administered by the West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission and the central regulatory authorities.