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DELHI, JANUARY 21, 2026
Emphasising that India’s
rapidly expanding economy will demand a far more robust power ecosystem in the
years ahead, Union Minister of Power Manohar Lal on Wednesday called for
financially strong and operationally efficient distribution companies,
asserting that empowered DISCOMs are the foundation of improved services and
greater consumer sensitivity. Addressing the inaugural session of the
Electricity Distribution Industry Conference, EDICON 2026, the Minister said
the power sector is poised to become enormous in scale, making it imperative
for distribution utilities to be prosperous, resilient and future-ready.
The two-day conference, being
held on January 21 and 22, is organised under the aegis of the Ministry of
Power in collaboration with the All India Discoms Association. Stressing the
need for sustainable reforms, the Minister urged State Electricity Regulatory
Commissions to move decisively towards cost-reflective tariffs, while
simultaneously ensuring that targeted subsidies reach needy consumers in line
with the provisions of the Electricity Act.
During the event, the Minister
unveiled the first edition of AIDA’s annual publication, India Discoms: 2025, a comprehensive report offering an outlook on
the electricity distribution sector. The report captures ongoing efforts by
distribution companies to enhance reliability of supply and operational
efficiency, outlines key challenges facing the sector, and highlights major
initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Power and the Central Electricity
Regulatory Commission. It also provides insights into policy measures such as
the Draft Electricity Amendment Bill and the India Energy Stack, and features
thirteen articles by eminent power sector experts along with a summary of
AIDA’s activities during 2025.
Recognising excellence and
innovation, the Minister also presented Gold and Silver awards to 12 DISCOMs
across six categories, honouring achievements ranging from improved rural
revenue recovery and effective use of smart meter data to enhanced consumer
satisfaction through digital payments, renewable energy integration,
agricultural feeder solarisation and impactful change management for better
consumer services. Award-winning utilities represented states including
Gujarat, Odisha, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil
Nadu and West Bengal.
The inaugural session was
attended by senior officials and industry leaders, including Pankaj Agarwal,
Secretary, Ministry of Power, Lokesh Chandra, CMD of MSEDCL and President of
AIDA, Dr. Ashish Kumar Goel, Chairperson of UPPCL and General Secretary of
AIDA, Alok Kumar, Director General of AIDA, along with other prominent
stakeholders from the power sector, underscoring EDICON 2026’s role as a key
platform for shaping the future of electricity distribution in India.
