Smart Meter Rollout Crosses Over 4 Crore Mark

India has installed 4.76 crore smart meters so far under various central and state schemes to improve power monitoring, distribution efficiency, and support the country’s clean energy transition.

The information was shared by the Minister of State for Power, Shripad Yesso Naik, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. As per the data, under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), 20.33 crore smart meters have been sanctioned based on proposals submitted by states. Installations are being executed through the PPP-based TOTEX model, where Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Providers (AMISPs) are responsible for deployment, operations, and maintenance.

To strengthen domestic manufacturing, smart meters were added to the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order in July 2023. The minimum local content requirement is currently 60 percent while 100 percent mandatory local content has been enforced for Head End Systems (HES) and Meter Data Management (MDM) systems from January 1, 2025.

Smart meters are enabling real-time power usage tracking for consumers, improving energy accounting, and helping distribution utilities conduct energy audits. The rollout of prepaid smart meters is also improving consumer budgeting and strengthening billing efficiency and cash flows for utilities.

At the grid level, SCADA and Distribution Management Systems (DMS) approved under RDSS are helping utilities reduce outages and improve fault response times through remote monitoring and automation. The scheme also supports grid modernisation, including upgrades to substations, transmission lines, and underground cabling, which is critical for large-scale renewable energy integration.

The Ministry of Power is also supporting technology solution providers (TSPs) and startups to build data-driven tools using smart meter analytics under RDSS, said the minister.

State-wise, the highest installations have been recorded in Bihar (82.37 lakh), Maharashtra (73.98 lakh) and Uttar Pradesh (65.06 lakh).