New Delhi, Dec 7 (IANS) Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)-based applications will play a pivotal role in building intelligent, consumer-centric, self-optimising distribution networks, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said on Sunday.

Addressing participants at the two-day national conference here on the use of AI/ML technologies in the power distribution sector, the minister noted that the 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 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 distribution companies (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, he added.

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 was also a need to actively engage with consumers. It is important to remove misinformation that sometimes surrounds new technologies and to win the valuable support of consumers for technology adoption in the sector, he added.

The minister appreciated the AI/ML solutions presented by discoms, advanced metering infrastructure service providers (AMISPs), technology solution providers (TSPs), and home automation solution providers (HASPs).

The minister also launched the STELLAR (Strategic Expansion for Long Term Load Adequacy and Resilience), developed by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), which will empower discoms to carry out resource adequacy studies and prepare long-term adequacy plans. Besides, the India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) presented the Handbook on AI, ML, AR/VR and Robotics Solutions and Roadmap for Electric Utilities, highlighting 174 use cases, including 45 from Indian utilities.

Speaking at the conference, Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal highlighted the importance of capacity building, secure data-sharing frameworks, and interoperability to ensure that innovations showcased during the conference can be scaled nationwide to facilitate the energy transition across the country.

The conference involved a national call for innovation, and 195 applications were received from discoms, AMISPs, TSPs, and HASPs. After initial screening, 51 solutions were shortlisted for detailed jury evaluation on Day 1 (December 6) of the Conference.

Following a detailed evaluation, the TNPDCL (Tamil Nadu), MP East (MP) in the discoms category, Tata Power and Apraava in the AMISP category, Pravah and Flock Energy in the TSP category and Tata Power in the HASP category were declared the winners.

The winners made their presentations, which highlighted various data-driven innovations like 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 also showcased a futuristic and user-friendly solution for monitoring and controlling energy use.

–IANS

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