India Power Corporation Limited brings private sector efficiency in public utility services

India Power Corporation Limited (“India Power”), a leading power utility, has emerged as the torchbearer of bringing private sector efficiency at affordable cost in public utility services.
The company has combined the best of public and private sector in its service offerings following its acquisition of state-owned Dishergarh Power Supply Company (“DPSC”), which has been supplying electricity to consumers since 1919. The acquisition has created a modern utility that uses cutting-edge technologies to improve consumer value proposition and has an unflinching commitment towards the society. India Power empowered DPSC’s nearly 2,000 employees, including those on contracts, and integrated them with its existing workforce. It created a unique cultural synergy that continues to foster a culture of innovation and creativity within the company.

India Power has invested more than Rs 500 crore to ramp up the network and distribution infrastructure in order to offer superior services at affordable cost to its domestic, commercial and industrial consumers. The company is committed to make fresh investments to expand its operations in new geographies and work closely with several state governments to ensure that consumers do not suffer voltage fluctuations, power failures, blackouts and load-shedding.

The state government of Madhya Pradesh has recently awarded a first-of-its-kind project to India Power’s subsidiary company, MP Smart Grid Private Limited. The company has initiated installation of 350,000 smart meters in Ujjain, Ratlam, Dewas, Khargone and Mhow. In addition to the end-to-end deployment of smart meters at consumer premises, the project also involves setting up of infrastructure for an intelligent power network along with O&M (operation and maintenance) for 5 years.

Commenting on the company’s ability to realise synergies of public and private sector, Mr. Raghav Raj Kanoria, Managing Director, India Power, said: “At India Power, we have been able to tap into the best of both worlds. Whether it’s the remarkable efficiency of the private sector in driving customer satisfaction or the public sector culture of ensuring employee welfare – India Power has been successful on all fronts. We retained the entire DPSC workforce, re-trained and empowered them, invested in modern technologies like advanced metering infrastructure (“AMI”), SCADA and IoT (Internet of Things) and created a win-win environment for all our stakeholders.”

Mr. Somesh Dasgupta, a power industry veteran and Whole-time Director, India Power, said: “DPSC was supplying power with devotion, dedication and discipline to critical mining areas under its license. India Power, following its acquisition, blended quality with affordability, and further improved the value proposition for the consumers. The company has set a benchmark in combining private sector expertise in public utility services and is being seen as a preferred partner by state governments across India. We are exploring opportunities to partner various state governments in order to provide electricity at affordable cost to consumers in their jurisdictions.”