GMR Smart Electricity Distribution on Monday said it has been awarded an order worth ₹7,593 crore to implement a large-scale smart metering project under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) programme.

The company is a subsidiary of GMR Power and Urban Infra (GPUIL).

“The order, received under the DBFOOT (design, build, finance, own, operate, and transfer) model, entails 75.69 lakh prepaid smart meters across two discoms - Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam (DVVNL) and Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam (PuVVNL), making it the largest combined package order of its kind,” the company said.

The scope of the project encompasses the design, supply, installation, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of prepaid smart metres, infrastructure covering consumer premises, as well as at the network level, including distribution of transformers and feeders for an aggregate period of 10 years, it added.

Financial sustainability

Installation of smart meters will majorly contribute to the turnaround journey of the power distribution sector by eliminating billing and collection losses and thereby enhancing the financial sustainability of the discoms.

The project will span across 22 districts covering prominent areas such as Varanasi, Prayagraj, Agra, Mathura, and Aligarh among others.

GMR Group Chairman (Energy) Srinivas Bommidala said, “These wins underscore GMR’s commitment to pivot into green and technology-based energy business with customer-centric growth strategy. With this mandate, GMR group makes its entry into the B2C business in the power sector at a substantial scale and will create value for GPUIL shareholders. We consider this as a good beginning for our Energy 2.0 strategy of new growth business areas in the power sector and have plans in the offing for further initiatives in this space.”

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