India’s Smart Meter Installation Under RDSS Faces Delays: Significant Gaps in Progress

As of November 29, 2024, India has successfully installed approximately 73 lakh smart prepaid meters as part of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). However, despite significant progress, a considerable gap remains in the country’s effort to meet the ambitious target of installing 250 million smart meters by March 2025.

The RDSS, launched in July 2021 with a substantial budget of Rs 3.3 trillion, is aimed at enhancing the operational efficiency and financial sustainability of power distribution utilities across the country. The initiative focuses on the installation of smart meters, which are expected to bring greater transparency to billing, reduce power theft, and improve the overall efficiency of the sector.

According to official data shared in Parliament, 72.97 lakh smart meters have been installed across various states, with a total of 19.79 crore smart meters sanctioned. However, the numbers reveal a concerning trend: 11 states and two Union Territories have reported zero installations of smart meters, despite having been sanctioned millions of devices.

The states with no smart meter installations include Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Rajasthan, Punjab, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Jharkhand, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, and Goa. Together, these states have been allocated over 14.9 crore smart meters, yet none of them have been installed as of now. Similarly, the Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry, which have been sanctioned over 4.86 lakh meters combined, have also seen no installations.

In contrast, some states have made notable strides in the rollout of smart meters. Assam leads the charge with 22.89 lakh meters installed out of a sanctioned 63.64 lakh, followed by Bihar, which has installed 19.39 lakh meters against a target of 23.50 lakh. Madhya Pradesh has achieved 10.13 lakh installations, despite having a much larger target of 1.29 crore meters, while Uttar Pradesh has installed 3.79 lakh meters, a fraction of the 2.69 crore meters sanctioned.

However, some states, like Uttarakhand, have made minimal progress, with only 7 meters installed out of a sanctioned 15.87 lakh.

The RDSS scheme is a crucial component of the government’s broader effort to improve the performance of power distribution companies (discoms) and ensure a reliable, efficient, and transparent power supply to consumers. The initiative’s success depends on overcoming the challenges of installation, especially in states and regions where progress has been sluggish.

Despite the financial outlay and ambitious targets, the data highlights that much work remains to be done to achieve the goal set for March 2025. The government now faces the challenge of accelerating installations and addressing the delays in the states and regions that have fallen behind. The outcome of this initiative will be a key factor in the modernization of India’s power sector and its ability to meet the growing energy demands of the nation.