Srinagar, Dec 07: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) based applications will play a pivotal role in building intelligent, consumer-centric, self-optimising distribution networks, Union Minister of Power Manohar Lal said Sunday.
As per an official statement issued here, the Minister was addressing participants at the two-day National Conference focusing on the use of AI/ML technologies in the power distribution sector at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
He said that AI/ML-based solutions, smart meter analytics, digital twins, predictive maintenance, theft-detection intelligence, appliance-level consumer insights, automated outage prediction and GenAI-based decision support can transform both consumer experience and operational efficiency. The Union Minister lauded the active participation of industry, states, innovators, academia and technology partners at the National Conference. He appreciated the AI/ML solutions presented by Distribution Companies (DISCOMs), Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Providers (AMISPs), Technology Solution Providers (TSPs) and Home Automation Solution Providers (HASPs).
The Minister urged all DISCOMs to work closely with ecosystem stakeholders to transition towards smart, reliable and consumer-focused distribution systems. He remarked that there is also a need to actively engage consumers. It is important to remove the misinformation that sometimes surrounds new technologies and to win the valuable support of consumers for technology adoption in the sector.
He noted that the AI/ML-based solutions highlight a powerful narrative of technology restoring trust, empowering households to manage their consumption better, preventing outages before they occur, protecting honest consumers from theft burdens and enabling DISCOMs to reduce losses, optimise power purchase costs and reinvest in stronger infrastructure—positioning India as a global leader in digital electricity reform and future-ready grid governance.
Speaking at the National Conference, Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to strengthen digitalisation across DISCOMs and promote the adoption of AI/ML-based solutions that deliver measurable operational and financial improvements. He stressed the importance of capacity-building, secure data-sharing frameworks and interoperability to ensure that innovations showcased during the conference can be scaled nationwide to support the country’s energy transition.
The Conference involved a national call for innovation, and 195 applications were received from DISCOMs, AMISPs, Technology Solution Providers (TSPs) and Home Automation Solution Providers. After initial screening, 51 solutions were shortlisted for detailed jury evaluation on Day 1 (6 December 2025) of the Conference.
Following detailed evaluation, TNPDCL (Tamil Nadu) and MP East (Madhya Pradesh) were selected in the DISCOMs category; Tata Power and Apraava in the AMISP category; Pravah and Flock Energy in the Solution Provider category; and Tata Power in the Home Automation Solution category. Today, the winners made their presentations, highlighting various data-driven innovations such as advanced smart meter analytics for revenue protection by Tamil Nadu and accurate consumer indexing to reduce losses by MP East. AMISPs like TP Power Plus and Apraava Energy demonstrated behavioural demand response and AI-based operational automation, while TSPs such as Pravah and Flock Energy showcased unified real-time grid intelligence and consumer appliance analytics. Tata Power showcased a futuristic and user-friendly solution for monitoring and controlling energy use. The winners were felicitated by the Minister of Power, who encouraged them to scale up such solutions across states.
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