Smart meter rollout crosses 5.5 crore under RDSS

Nearly 5.5 crore smart electricity metres have been installed across the country under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik said on Tuesday.

Addressing the 4th Discom Conclave organised by PHDCCI, the minister said the government launched RDSS in 2023 with an outlay of Rs 3,03,758 crore for five years from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26 to modernise and digitise power distribution.

He said the scheme aims to reduce Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses, eliminate the gap between Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and Average Revenue Realised (ARR), and improve operational efficiency. Smart metering is a key reform component, with a target of installing 20 crore smart meters nationwide.

Smart meters enable real-time energy accounting, accurate billing, improved revenue realisation and enhanced consumer empowerment. They also generate high-resolution consumption data that can support digital intelligence in the power sector.

Naik emphasised the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), saying it can help in demand forecasting, load prediction at feeder and transformer levels, demand response management, dynamic load balancing and predictive maintenance.

With the expansion of rooftop solar under PM Surya Ghar, rising electric vehicle charging networks and scaling up of battery energy storage systems, load patterns are becoming more dynamic. AI-driven analytics can help DISCOMs manage peak demand, reduce costly power purchases and improve grid reliability, he added.