AI, Machine Learning will boost India’s power distribution: Manohar Lal

New Delhi, Dec 7: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will play a key role in creating smarter, consumer-centric and self-optimising power distribution networks, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said at a National Conference on AI/ML in the power sector held at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday.

He said technologies such as smart meter analytics, digital twins, predictive maintenance, theft-detection tools, appliance-level insights and automated outage prediction can significantly improve both efficiency and consumer experience.

The Minister also called for stronger consumer engagement to counter misinformation and encourage wider adoption of new technologies.

Lauding the participation of states, industry, innovators and academia, he appreciated the solutions showcased by DISCOMs, AMISPs, Technology Solution Providers and Home Automation firms.

The conference received 195 innovation entries, of which 51 were shortlisted.

Winners included TNPDCL and MP East (DISCOMs), Tata Power and Apraava (AMISPs), Pravah and Flock Energy (Solution Providers) and Tata Power (Home Automation).

Their presentations highlighted data-driven tools for revenue protection, loss reduction, behavioural demand response and real-time grid intelligence.

The Minister also launched STELLAR, a tool developed by the Central Electricity Authority to help DISCOMs plan long-term load adequacy.

The India Smart Grid Forum released a handbook on AI, ML, AR/VR and robotics, featuring 174 use cases for electric utilities.