Apart from putting up power T&D infrastructure from an equipment or hardware perspective, the coming years will witness a sharp focus and growing investment on grid digitization.

State government utilities are now consciously investing in digitizing their grid with a view to improve grid performance, and of course, to mitigate technical and commercial losses. Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL), which today manages over 83 per cent of India’s interregional electricity transfer, has deployed undoubtedly the highest level of technical sophistication in its transmission assets.

For instance, PGCIL has introduced drone patrolling of transmission line-s that will diagnose technical flaws faster, thus reducing downtime. All its substations are remotely monitored. PGCIL is also deploying AI (artificial intelligence) for asset management, apart from pursuing a path-breaking initiative called UDAAN (Unique Digital Analysis of Assets & Network).

Now, what is very inspiring and encouraging is that PGCIL is assisting state government utilities in modernizing intrastate grids. The Central PSU is considering both options – joint ventures with state transcos, and offering consultancy services. A JV with Bihar is already in operation, and one with Rajasthan will be formalized soon. States like Assam and Uttar Pradesh have also evinced interest in similar JVs. PGCIL is also offering high-end consultancy services to Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to set up transmission asset management centres, for remote monitoring of their substations.

PGCIL has also announced its intentions of actively participating in intrastate grid development under the tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) mechanism. Right now, PGCIL is active in only a few states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, but in the time to come, PGCIL expects to widen its state-level presence.

State transcos need to harness the involvement of private sector players as well as PGCIL, in developing and modernizing their grid. In this reckoning, a growing number of state transcos should put in conscious effort to engage bid process coordinators like PFCCL and RECPDCL to seek developers under the TBCB modality.

As more and more state transcos modernize their network and advance towards the monitoring and maintenance standards of PGCIL, India’s intrastate transmission grid will only get stronger. While the interregional and interstate grid is quite robust, thanks to the involvement of PGCIL and private sector players of high stature, intrastate grids are still very weak. India cannot afford this.

Only if the power grid is comprehensive robust, right from interregional lines to the intrastate level, will India be able to uphold its pledge of reaching electricity to its smallest and remotest end-consumer.

The author, Venugopal Pillai, is Editor T&D India, and may be reached on venugopal.pillai@tndindia.com. Views expressed here are personal.