Follow India Renewable Energy News on WhatsApp for exclusive updates on clean energy news and insights

At EDICON 2026, Power Minister Emphasises Need for Financially Resilient DISCOMs

Union Power Minister Manohar Lal has stressed that a rapidly growing economy requires a robust and financially sustainable power distribution sector, calling for electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs) to become self-reliant and economically strong.

The minister was delivering the inaugural address at EDICON 2026 – the Electricity Distribution Industry Conference, organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Power in collaboration with the All India Discoms Association (AIDA).

Highlighting the importance of financial discipline, Manohar Lal urged State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) to move towards cost-reflective tariffs, while ensuring that subsidies are well-targeted and extended only to eligible consumers, in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act.

During the event, the Power Minister also released the first edition of AIDA’s annual report titled “India Discoms: 2025”. The report provides an overview of the current state of India’s power distribution sector, detailing ongoing efforts by DISCOMs to improve supply reliability and operational efficiency, the challenges confronting the sector, and key policy initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Power and the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). These include highlights of the Draft Electricity Amendment Bill and the India Energy Stack framework.

As part of the conference, Gold and Silver awards were presented to 12 DISCOMs across six categories, recognising excellence in areas such as rural revenue recovery, effective use of smart meter data, enhancement of consumer satisfaction through digital payment systems, innovation in renewable energy integration, agricultural feeder solarisation, and successful change management initiatives aimed at improving consumer services. Award-winning DISCOMs represented states including Gujarat, Odisha, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.

The event was attended by several senior officials and industry leaders, including Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power; Lokesh Chandra, CMD, MSEDCL and President, AIDA; Dr. Ashish Kumar Goel, Chairperson, UPPCL and General Secretary, AIDA; Alok Kumar, Director General, AIDA, along with other prominent stakeholders from the power sector.