THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, FEBRUARY 10, 2026

 IIT Bhubaneswar has successfully developed and commissioned a state-of-the-art indigenous digital substation featuring a Centralized Monitoring and Protection (CPM) system at its 33/11 kV campus substation, marking a major stride in India’s journey towards advanced, self-reliant power system technologies. The new system enables real-time monitoring, control and protection of the Institute’s entire electrical distribution network, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and grid reliability.

The digital substation was inaugurated on Tuesday by Vishal Kumar Dev, Additional Chief Secretary, Energy and E&IT Department, Government of Odisha, in the presence of Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar. The occasion highlighted the growing convergence of academia, government and industry in strengthening indigenous technological capabilities in the power sector.

Several eminent dignitaries were present at the commissioning ceremony, including Dr. Satyapriya Ratha, Managing Director, GRDICO; Prof. S. R. Samantaray, Project Investigator; and Rutupurna Mansingh, Deputy General Manager (Electrical), GRIDCO, underscoring the project’s strategic relevance to Odisha’s and India’s evolving power infrastructure.

The project was undertaken as a demonstration initiative under the National Perspective Plan (NPP) of the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Bengaluru, operating under the Ministry of Power, Government of India. It was led by Prof. S. R. Samantaray of the Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Electrical and Computer Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar, and reflects a strong emphasis on research-led innovation with practical utility.

The core objective of the initiative was to design, develop and demonstrate a Centralized Protection and Monitoring (CPM) system for a distribution substation, including seamless integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). Notably, the project stands among the few indigenously developed digital substation frameworks in the country, employing intelligent merging units that eliminate the need for conventional physical Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) within the substation, thereby reducing complexity and improving system efficiency.

With a future-ready architecture, the system also provides a robust foundation for the development of a Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) embedded within the CPM framework. This capability is expected to enhance grid intelligence, operational flexibility and overall reliability, particularly in the context of increasing renewable energy penetration.

The successful commissioning of the digital substation reinforces IIT Bhubaneswar’s commitment to advancing smart grid technologies, promoting indigenisation of power system solutions, and supporting the development of sustainable, resilient energy infrastructure in alignment with national priorities.