Odisha’s homegrown young engineers power India’s first statewide Power Distribution Technology Centre

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, 22 JULY 2025

In a powerful affirmation of Odisha’s rise as a hub for energy innovation and skilled professionals, over 50 engineers — many of them women — are at the helm of India’s first-of-its-kind statewide Power Distribution Technology Centre (PDTC). Operating 24×7 in three shifts, this advanced facility ensures real-time monitoring, uninterrupted power supply, and seamless operations across the state.

Located strategically in Bhubaneswar, the PDTC serves as the digital nerve centre of Odisha’s power distribution network. It integrates cutting-edge grid control technologies such as SCADA, GIS, ADMS, and Utility Data Stream analytics, allowing real-time oversight of 250 SCADA-enabled primary substations across Central Odisha. Uniquely, the PDTC doubles as the Main Control Centre (MCC) for TPCODL and as the Backup Control Centre (BCC) for the SCADA-enabled substations of the other Tata Power-led Odisha DISCOMs — TPWODL (225 substations), TPSODL (151), and TPNODL (150) — ensuring business continuity and operational integration statewide.

What sets this facility apart is the homegrown engineering talent that powers it. The PDTC’s team comprises professionals from various districts including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Balasore, and Angul — graduates of Odisha’s own engineering colleges. With women playing key roles in critical operations, the centre exemplifies inclusive and locally rooted leadership in the power sector.

Among them is Pravati Mishra, Executive Engineer at the PDTC and an alumna of C.V. Raman Engineering College, Bhubaneswar. Sharing her journey, she says,

“Having served in various roles from customer service to operations, contributing to Odisha’s first integrated control centre is a proud milestone. The PDTC is the nerve centre of power system operations, ensuring reliability, and we’re proud to make it safer and more responsive every day.”

Pragnya Sarada Das, Head of Group – Reliability at TPCODL and a graduate of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla, has been with Tata Power since its foray into Odisha.

“We’ve come a long way in building robust processes and providing reliable power supply. The PDTC is the embodiment of that transformation—future-ready, secure, and rooted in local capability,” she notes.

The PDTC plays a critical role in managing Odisha’s growing energy demand — now exceeding 6,000 MW — through real-time load forecasting, weather-integrated analytics, fault detection, and automated switching. Its intelligent systems transform the way electricity is delivered, ensuring timely outage management and improved service across both urban and rural areas.

As Tata Power continues to modernize Odisha’s power infrastructure, the PDTC stands as a symbol of what’s possible when world-class technology meets local expertise. It reinforces the vision of a smarter, resilient, and inclusive energy ecosystem — driven by the “Skilled in Odisha” mission.

Tata Power, in joint venture with the Government of Odisha, operates four DISCOMs — TP Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL), TP Western Odisha Distribution Limited (TPWODL), TP Southern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPSODL), and TP Northern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPNODL) — collectively serving nearly 4.6 crore people across the state.