The highlight of the conclave was its distinguished list of guests:

Chief Guest: Mr Shripad Yesso Naik, Hon’ble Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India

Chair: Mr P R Kumar, Power Committee, PHDCCI & MD & CEO, Noida Power Company Ltd

Guest of Honour: Mr Alok Kumar, IAS (Retd.), Director General, All India Discoms Association & Former Power Secretary, Government of India

Guest of Honour: Mr Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority

The Conclave commenced with a warm welcome address by Dr Ranjeet Mehta, CEO and Secretary General, PHDCCI, who emphasised the significance of the Hon’ble Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy’s presence, underscoring the importance of the conclave and the critical role that DISCOMs play in India’s evolving energy landscape.

Speaking at the 4th DISCOM Conclave 2026, the Chief Guest, Mr Shripad Yesso Naik, Hon’ble Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India highlighted India’s remarkable power sector transformation under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, from universal electrification to 500 GW renewable capacity targets. He emphasised that financially strong and digitally intelligent DISCOMs are central to achieving the nation’s energy vision.

With 5.5 crore smart meters already installed under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), he underscored the transformative potential of AI in demand forecasting, grid management, and operational efficiency. He called upon industry, innovators, and financial institutions to partner in building next-generation DISCOMs fit for Viksit Bharat 2047.

Mr Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority states – Building next-generation DISCOMs demands excellence across two critical dimensions — technical reliability and digital intelligence. On the technical front, DISCOMs must progressively achieve N-1 reliability standards at the distribution level, ensuring consumers receive truly uninterrupted, quality power supply.

Digital transformation must go beyond smart metering to encompass a holistic, integrated digital architecture with standardised components, interoperable systems, and robust cybersecurity frameworks. Bihar’s near one-crore smart meter deployment in prepaid mode demonstrates the transformative financial and operational impact already achievable.

The real opportunity lies in leveraging granular consumption data for precise demand forecasting, peak load prediction, and dynamic resource adequacy planning. Integrating finance, technology, data, and planning into one cohesive architecture will position Indian DISCOMs among the world’s best, driving India’s journey toward Viksit Bharat 2047.

Supporting the discussion further, Mr Alok Kumar, IAS (Retd.) Director General, All India Discoms Association & Former Power Secretary, Government of India said – “Indian DISCOMs have achieved a commendable turnaround in FY25, with reduced aggregate losses and improved profitability. With AT&C losses at 15%, there remains a significant opportunity to close the gap with the global benchmark of 7.5%, while turning the ACS-ARR gap meaningfully positive will further strengthen long-term financial resilience. With electricity demand projected to grow four to five times by 2047, DISCOMs have an immense opportunity to scale up, provided network investments keep pace with renewable integration.

Realising this potential requires pushing billing efficiency from 87% towards 92-93%, achieving 100% collection efficiency, ensuring timely state government subsidy payments, and enabling realistic tariff revisions by State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs). Encouragingly, addressing these two structural enablers — timely subsidies and progressive tariff revisions — alone can resolve 90% of sectoral financial stress. With focused operational improvements, India’s DISCOMs are well-positioned to become financially resilient institutions capable of powering Viksit Bharat 2047.

While addressing at the Conclave Mr P R Kumar Chair, Power Committee, PHDCCI & MD & CEO, Noida Power Company Ltd said – “India’s power distribution sector has made significant strides, with Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses falling from over 25% in FY14 to nearly 15% in FY25, and the Average Cost of Supply per unit to the Average Revenue Realized (ACS-ARR) gap narrowing to just 6 paise per unit. DISCOMs have collectively reported positive PAT this year. However, financial fragility persists, with nearly 80% of DISCOMs having a Debt Service Coverage Ratio below 3. Strengthening finances requires reducing losses, optimising power purchase costs, and ensuring cost-reflective tariffs.

On the digital front, transformation is no longer optional. With renewable energy poised to constitute 80% of future capacity, demand-side flexibility through smart metering and digital infrastructure is critical. Beyond the mandated 25 crore smart meters, DISCOMs must build a comprehensive digital stack — encompassing AI-based forecasting, SCADA, AMI, and cybersecurity frameworks — to evolve into intelligent energy service providers.”

In his address, Dr Ranjeet Mehta also predicted – “The DISCOMs will not just be power distributors — they will be energy managers, digital service providers, and key enablers of India’s energy transition. With smart meters, data analytics, AI-based demand forecasting, and improved consumer interfaces, DISCOMs can become more consumer-centric and financially sustainable.

In today’s rapidly changing environment, DISCOMs are recalibrating their strategies. I believe that across the country, DISCOMs have increasingly recognized that the customer must be at the center of their strategy.”

Amid the enlightening speeches by our honourable guests, PHDCCI and FICHTNER released a knowledge report on “Creating Next Generation DISCOMs – Financially Strong and Digitally Smart” underscoring the conclave’s vision and its alignment with India’s journey towards 2047. The report is also attached with this press release.

The event was also attended by a vast pool of policy makers, regulators, sustainability enthusiasts, power and distribution experts, entrepreneurs, and industry stakeholders.

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The India Energy Stack aims to create a common digital framework that helps different stakeholders — including utilities, system operators, market participants, innovators, and consumers — securely exchange data and interact using shared standards and protocols. This approach is intended to improve coordination, transparency, and efficiency across the energy ecosystem.

The updated Version 0.3 documents reflect ongoing work to design, test, and refine the framework through phased development and consultation. The IES initiative is being advanced through ecosystem collaboration, pilot implementation, and eventual national rollout to support a more reliable, flexible, and future-ready power system.

Importantly, the India Energy Stack is expected to benefit consumers and prosumers by giving them greater control and participation in the energy ecosystem. Through consent-based data sharing and interoperable digital services, consumers can access improved energy services, compare offerings, and participate in programmes such as demand response or EV charging. Prosumers — who both produce and consume electricity — can more easily monetise surplus energy, verify transactions, and engage in energy markets. By enabling trusted measurement, verification, and settlement at scale, the framework can help households, businesses, and community groups participate confidently and benefit economically from their energy choices.

The meeting reviewing Version 0.3 was attended by Taskforce Chairman Dr. Ram Sewak Sharma (Former Director General, UIDAI; Former CEO, National Health Authority; Former Chairman, TRAI); Sh. Pradeep Kumar Pujari (Vice Chair, Distinguished Fellow, FSR Global; Former Chairman, CERC; Former Secretary, Power); Sh. Pramod Verma (Co-founder, FIDE; Former Chief Architect, Aadhaar); Shri Abhishek Ranjan (CEO, BRPL); Shri Vikram Gandotra (President-Elect, IEEMA); Shri Vikram Dhaka (Representative, MNRE); Shri Swetha Ravi Kumar (Executive Director, FSR Global); Dr. Rahul Tongia (Senior Fellow, CSEP); Shri Reji Pillai (President, ISGF); and Shri Pranav Tayal (Director, Ministry of Power), among other dignitaries.

The initiative is steered by REC Limited as the Nodal Agency, working closely with the Ministry of Power and supported by FSR Global as the Knowledge Partner.

The India Energy Stack (IES) project is scheduled to be completed by July 2026.

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The tableau highlights India’s evolution from achieving universal electricity access to emerging as a global clean energy leader, reinforcing the nation’s commitment to building a self-reliant and developed India. The theme Prakash Ganga — meaning “River of Light” — symbolises the seamless and continuous flow of power across the interconnected national grid.

A prominent feature of the tableau is a robotic Smart Meter model, accompanied by wind turbine generators, reflecting the integration of digital technologies, automation, and smart solutions for efficient power management.

The central section depicts the “Smart Power, Smarter Home” concept with rooftop solar installations, highlighting the government’s vision of empowering citizens as ‘prosumers’ — both producers and consumers of electricity. A towering transmission structure represents last-mile connectivity, while an EV charging station and electric scooter demonstrate the power sector’s role in enabling clean mobility and a sustainable transport ecosystem.

The rear segment showcases India’s renewable energy strength through hydroelectric, wind, and geothermal power installations, symbolising the nation’s expanding clean energy footprint. The structure marked “Switching on India” represents advanced control and monitoring centres that ensure grid stability and uninterrupted electricity supply.

Mounted on a structure resembling coiled electrical cables, the tableau reflects the scale and resilience of India’s national power grid that connects millions of households and industries.

Through this Republic Day presentation, the Ministry of Power reaffirms its commitment to providing reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity, driving economic growth, strengthening energy security, and powering the vision of a developed India.

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