New Delhi, February 24 India has installed nearly 5.5 crore smart electricity meters under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), which aims to digitize power distribution, Union Minister Shripad Yesso Naik said on Tuesday.
In 2023, the government launched RDSS with an outlay of Rs 3,03,758 crore for a duration of 5 years - from (FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26).
Addressing PHDCCI's 4th Discom Conclave, the minister said that under RDSS, the government has initiated reforms aimed at reducing AT&C losses, eliminating the AT&C gap (average cost of supply-average revenue realized), and improving operational efficiency. Smart metering is one of the most transformative components of this reform agenda.
Under the scheme, the ministry intends to install a total of 20 crore smart meters, the Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy said.
Smart meters enable real-time energy accounting, accurate billing, improved revenue realization, and greater consumer empowerment, and they also provide high-resolution data, which is the foundation of digital intelligence.
Highlighting the importance of AI in the power sector, the minister said that the sector is poised to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this technological revolution.
He advocated for increasing the use of technology, including AI, to address the power load pattern.
"In the coming years, as rooftop solar under PM Surya Ghar expands, electric vehicle charging networks proliferate, and Battery Energy Storage Systems scale up, load patterns will become more dynamic and decentralized."
To tackle this, traditional planning methods will not be sufficient, he opined.
Recently, at the India–AI Impact Summit, India showcased its growing leadership in the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence for public good.
"With millions of smart meters generating granular consumption data, Artificial Intelligence can now be leveraged for accurate short-term and long-term demand forecasting; feeder-level and transformer-level load prediction; real-time demand response management; dynamic load balancing and predictive maintenance and outage prevention," he said.
AI-driven analytics will enable DISCOMs to forecast demand peaks more precisely, reduce costly power purchase during peak hours, incentivize off-peak consumption, and optimize procurement through power exchanges, he pointed out.
This will significantly reduce financial stress while enhancing grid reliability.
In other words, smart meters combined with AI will convert DISCOMs from reactive service providers into predictive and intelligent network managers, he stated.
A next-generation DISCOM must therefore be financially disciplined; digitally integrated; consumer-centric; renewable-ready and operationally efficient, he suggested.
India’s journey toward Viksit Bharat 2047 depends heavily on a modern and resilient power distribution sector, the minister said, urging the industry stakeholders, technology innovators and financial institutions to actively partner in this transformative journey.
"Together, let us build DISCOMs that are financially strong, digitally smart, environmentally responsible, and globally competitive," he said.
