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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