Adani Electricity Mumbai Tops Central Discom Ranking
Adani Electricity Mumbai has emerged as the leading power distribution company in India, securing the top spot in the rankings released by the Union Power Ministry in its 12th Edition of Integrated Rating of Discoms. The evaluation covered 55 electricity distribution utilities, with 12 of them achieving the highest rating of A+. Torrent Power Surat and Torrent Power Ahmedabad claimed the second and third positions, while Gujarat's state power utilities Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Limited (DGVCL) and Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Limited (UGVCL) secured the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
Out of the 42 state-run power utilities assessed, nine from Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh received either an A+ or A rating. During the release event at Shram Shakti Bhawan, Union Power Minister R.K. Singh commended the overall improvement in the performance of the Discoms and highlighted the significance of these ratings in informing the public and driving enhanced performance.
Minister Singh noted positive trends such as the reduction in Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses and improvements in billing and collection efficiency. He emphasized the government's efforts to implement smart prepaid meters to further increase efficiencies and reduce AT&C losses to single digits.
Singh acknowledged the positive transformation in states that were previously underperforming, but also expressed surprise at some developed or fast-developing states receiving lower ratings for their Discoms. Addressing the increase in power prices, he pointed out that discoms not securing long-term power supply resources contributed to their dependency on higher short-term power purchases. To address this, Singh emphasized the need for discoms to enter into long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for at least 85% of their electricity requirements. The government has also instituted penalties for gratuitous load-shedding and established consumer grievance redressal forums.
