New Delhi, March 20: Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday chaired a national power ministers’ meeting at the Bharat Electricity Summit 2026, focusing on energy security, sectoral reforms, and long-term growth strategies for India’s power sector.
Addressing the meeting, the minister said the summit would play a crucial role in advancing the vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047,” highlighting the sector’s importance in driving economic growth and infrastructure development.
He noted that India has crossed 520 GW of installed power capacity, alongside improvements in distribution company (Discom) performance, smart meter deployment, and reduced power shortages. Khattar emphasised the need for stronger coordination between the Centre and states to ensure affordable and efficient power generation, transmission, and distribution.
Amid global uncertainties, the minister stressed the importance of energy security, calling for higher per capita electricity consumption and accelerated adoption of renewable energy, while also recognising nuclear power as a key clean energy source.
The meeting was co-chaired by Minister of State Shripad Naik and attended by senior officials including Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary (Power), and Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, along with energy ministers from states and Union Territories.
Naik highlighted the growing role of technology and artificial intelligence in transforming the sector, particularly through smart metering initiatives, and noted that nearly half of India’s installed capacity now comes from non-fossil fuel sources.
During the meeting, the Ministry of Power released two key FY25 reports — Consumer Service Ratings of Discoms (CSRD) and Distribution Utilities Ranking (DUR). The CSRD report rated six utilities A+, 21 as A, and 27 as B+, based on parameters such as billing efficiency, grievance redressal, and transparency.
The DUR report provided a comprehensive assessment of 66 distribution utilities, evaluating financial, operational, and service performance, offering a benchmark for improving efficiency across the power distribution ecosystem.
