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India Records 1.3 Million Transformer Failures Each Year, CEA Flags Need for Standardised Designs

India sees nearly 1.3 million distribution transformer failures annually, according to data shared by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The highest failure rates are concentrated in the northern States, which account for over 20% of the total, while Kerala reports the lowest at 1.9%.

These findings were highlighted during a CEA meeting held on November 29, 2025, focused on the need for standardised distribution transformer designs and uniform technical specifications across the country. The meeting noted that private utilities such as Tata Power-DDL (Delhi) and CESC (Kolkata) have achieved exceptionally low failure rates below 0.5%, demonstrating that consistent design practices and disciplined maintenance significantly improve reliability.

During the discussions, the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA) pointed out that moisture ingress accounts for 90% of transformer failures nationwide.

Uttar Pradesh, which faced scrutiny for high failure numbers, informed the committee that around 40,000 transformers have been retrofitted under an ongoing improvement initiative. The State also stressed the need for independent power quality audits and better voltage monitoring to further reduce breakdowns.