NEW DELHI, October 15 — The Ministry of Power on Wednesday announced that cumulative deployments under the flagship Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) have crossed the strategic threshold of 30 million (3 crore) prepaid smart meters installed and synchronized across State electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs).
According to performance telemetry audited by nodal agencies REC Limited and PFC, the aggressive rollout has directly contributed to lowering nationwide Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses from 15.4 percent down toward an unprecedented 11.8 percent, driven by accelerated billing accuracy and upfront revenue collection in pioneer states like Bihar, Assam, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.
Power officials stated that smart prepaid infrastructure eliminates systemic billing disputes, enables dynamic time-of-day (ToD) tariff optimization, and establishes real-time feeder monitoring essential for integrating variable renewable energy into the national grid.
The architectural framework of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS, approved with an outlay of ₹3.03 lakh crore), the historical trajectory of DISCOM financial bailouts (UDAY, FRP), the mathematical derivation of AT&C losses, and smart grid modernisation represent crucial knowledge areas for UPSC Civil Services (GS-III: Infrastructure & Energy Economics) and electrical engineering examinations.