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Introduction In recent years, the global automotive industry has witnessed a paradigm shift with the rapid rise of electric vehicles (EVs). As nations worldwide commit to reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change, EVs have emerged as a pivotal solution towards a sustainable future. However, amidst this transformative journey, ensuring the success and longevity of […]

India, with its robust economic growth, is emerging as a pivotal global player across various sectors, including the transportation sector. The nation has set an ambitious target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. To achieve this goal, an important step involves the decarbonization of the transportation sector, with a specific focus on transitioning to electric […]

Retrofitting Electric Vehicles (EVs) presents a compelling opportunity to accelerate the transition towards sustainable transportation worldwide. Globally, as countries set ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions, retrofitting offers a viable solution to upgrade existing internal combustion engine vehicles. It not only extends the lifespan of these vehicles but also significantly reduces their environmental impact. However, […]

Can Metal-Air Batteries have the potential to revolutionize the automotive industry? Metal-air batteries have become the subject of intensive research worldwide and have made great strides in the past decade. They are expected to be used in new energy vehicles, portable equipment, stationary power generation devices, and other fields in the future. This type of […]

Lebanon’s persistent electricity crisis has brought the nation dangerously close to a financial collapse. Prolonged power outages are severely hampering economic activity, and the extensive subsidies for electricity have contributed to Lebanon carrying one of the world’s heaviest public debt burdens. People are forced to spend 21-23 hours in total darkness or privately source electricity […]

Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a transformative force in the automotive industry, promising a cleaner, more sustainable future for transportation. At the heart of every electric vehicle lies a crucial component: the electric motor. This compact yet powerful device is responsible for converting electrical energy into mechanical motion, propelling EVs forward with remarkable efficiency. […]

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India is consistently growing with total annual sales reaching around 1.2 million units in 2022-23. This upward trajectory is particularly pronounced in the electric 2-wheeler (E2W) and electric 3-wheeler (E3W) segments, as shown in Figure 1. The impetus behind this surge can be attributed to the comprehensive policy […]

Given the prevailing state of climate change, all sectors, even those resistant to decarbonisation, must swiftly transition to electric alternatives. Skeleton’s Super Battey and CATL battery swapping technology solutions may be the answer to one of the few challenges in the electrification of mining equipment. Mining, a cornerstone of our global economy, is a catalyst […]

The transportation sector is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2021, it was responsible for almost 37% of all global emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).This makes it one of the largest contributors to climate change and underscores the urgent need to transition towards more sustainable forms of transportation. Many […]

Transport and energy are important for economic growth and social development, but also major emitters of greenhouse gases. Transport emits 23% of energy-related CO2 and power industry emits 40%[1]. Hence, decarbonizing these sectors is necessary to limit global warming. Both sectors’ growth can lead to increased fossil fuel dependence and emissions. Making low-carbon energy and transport […]

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is largely dependent on the ability of the power sector to provide reliable and affordable electricity. In these countries, access to electricity and a stable supply of it are still major concerns, and therefore it is important to consider both the power and […]

In Africa itis estimated that stationary battery capacity could grow by 22% annually through 2030 due to demand from energy access applications, and mini grids alone could represent 40% of the 2030 market. Market forecasts by the World Economic Forum show that as more Africans gain access to energy over the coming years, the demand […]

In collaboration with NITI Aayog, the World Economic Forum (WEF) published a report on the financing options in India’s Electric Vehicle (EV) industry. The report highlights capital pools and their lending status in the EV ecosystem, as well as a multi stake holder approach to market de-risking for transitioning two- and three-wheeler fleets to electric. […]

The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently published a report on the global energy outlook as part of its World Energy Outlook 2022.The report highlights the global energy crisis, which has been triggered by the conflict in Ukraine, and has resulted in significant price increases due to uncertainties about supply security and affordability. This comes at […]

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are fundamentally 5-6 times more efficient than Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) because they convert energy directly into motion, as opposed to ICEs, which must first burn fuel to produce heat before converting that heat into motion. Furthermore, the use of EVs and charging stations is expected to increase overall energy efficiency in […]

Recent incidents of fires in electric vehicles – two-wheelers ( e-2w) in particular – have brought focus on the safety of electric vehicles. These incidents have put a dent in the growth of EV market, which needs to be urgently addressed. Causes of fire in EVs The sources of fire are varied. While most of […]

Utilities are heavily driven by outsourcing of products and services, but most times, their integration is limited by lack of strong Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and vendor management practices. The new private operators usually start dealing with several products and contractors, and already scarce Management bandwidth gets occupied in monitoring and renegotiating contracts and performance. […]

Distribution Franchisee (DF) model has only recently picked traction since 2009 after successful demonstration by Torrent Power Ltd. at Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, which got operational in 2007. The success there has sparked private businesses interest into the sector with more than 30 corporates jumping into the fray. Many of the businesses comes from very diverse background […]

With ongoing operationalization of Distribution Franchisee (DF), one common question that keeps hitting again and again is ‘Why need of DF? What it can do, which utility cannot or have not?’. While answer to this is pretty subjective, I would share my opinion in 3 breakups Key issues that are affecting profitability of distribution utility […]

Power Distribution Franchisee (DF) remains a new and big canvas in India’s Power Distribution sector with few painters and there is not much history to build and learn from others. While ‘learning’ from ‘doing’ is way forward, but still there remains a gap in Distribution Franchisee Thought Leadership to establish and quantify DF’s potential impact […]

Inspired by the success of the Power Distribution Franchisee model of electricity at Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, many other states have started piloting the model. MSEDCL is probably the most active utility with piloting Power Distribution Franchisee model – Bhiwandi, Nagpur, Jalgaon and recently Shil, Mumbra & Kalwa with many others in pipeline in coming short time. […]

Power Distribution Franchisee has attracted various big corporate houses (see earlier blog). A distribution below of major players bidding in the market shows that most companies has come from services sector of Infrastructure and Power businesses. Those in Infrastructure like GMR, SMS, Ashoka Buildcon, A2Z & Kalpataru has earlier already diversified into Power sector primarily into […]

pManifold as Knowledge Partner to IIES 2011 organized a workshop on ‘Utility Monitoring & Distribution Power Franchise – Enhancing SEB’s Performance’. The workshop was co-chaired with domain experts Mr. Murhari Kele, Supt. Engg. MSEDCL, Nagpur and Mr. Prabhakar Kukde, Ex-Direcor, Tata Power. pManifold Utility DF_IIES_Workshop_report View more presentations from pManifold Speakers who participated in this workshop Topics covered The workshop spanned […]

REC (Renewable Energy Certificate) is a tool to implement Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) for buyers like state electricity distribution utility, open access users and captive generators from conventional sources from sellers of renewable energy generators. It is an environmental commodity that: RECs – a market ready for take offhttps://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/7671147 View more presentations from pManifold Wind, Solar, Small Hydro (below […]

Indian Power sector is in a rapid growth phase and in a phase of undergoing rapid change – change in a way they used to operate. A special emphasis is laid by the government on the electricity distribution industry to improve their operational and business efficiency. On an average the SEBs suffer from an ATC […]

The Power Distribution Franchisee (DF) model is a precursor for privatization of distribution business in India. Under the model, the state retains ownership of the distribution asset and only leases O&M for defined contract period. On account of heavy capex already laid by the Government and its desire to keep its influence on this major portfolio, DF […]

Utility Performance Monitoring is one of major gaps in Indian distribution utility or DISCOMs. The major reason is missing measurements and analytics to drive decisions and implementations. Even the MIS that gets created (inspite of its questionable integrity) is not effectively used to control distribution system optimally. One abstraction is to look utility as a complex […]

An obvious question with so much projected on Distribution Franchisee (DF) model is: What real gains both the utility and end-consumers could expect coming out of the Distribution Franchisee model? While Bhiwandi implementation of Distribution Franchisee has shown increased consumer satisfaction for improved service levels, but it is yet to be proved conclusively that the […]

The Forum of Regulators Report on Standardization of the Distribution Franchisee model (September 2010) mentions that the objectives of appointing a distribution franchisee, inter alia, are: i. To minimise Aggregate Distribution and Commercial losses ii. To bring improvement in Metering, Billing and Revenue Collection iii. To minimise Current Assets on account of arrears iv. To enhance customer […]

This is a comparative view of top level findings developed using the location specific reports of Gwalior, Datia and Bhind available here along with 6 other districts in Madhya Pradesh (MP). Regional traits like urban/ rural development differentiation are strikingly clear; Customer satisfaction lowest in Bhind In the overall scheme of things, Specifically in Datia, the increased […]

Chhattisgarh also has entered into the race of Power Distribution Franchising with its announcement of one of Raipur O&M Division named Baloda Bazar. The size of the project is smaller than all the recent 9 districts Distribution Franchisee in Madhya Pradesh (See our earlier blog ‘Upcoming Projects of Power Distribution Franchisee in Madhya Pradesh‘). The […]

Madhya Pradesh (MP) Energy Dept. has taken a bold step with decision to private franchise 9 MP district’s Power Distribution simultaneously. This is unique as there is less than 9 total operational Input based Power Distribution Franchisees (DF) pan India at the district level scale while the model is still emerging. The associated officials and transaction advisory […]

A recent publication from Prayas on ‘Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Program – Urgent need for mid-course correction‘ gave a very good overview of RGGVY program, its features and progress. Some key observations made: 2. Rs. 26000 cr. already spent in last 6 years since 2005 and estimated another same amount to be spent (totaling to Rs. 52000 cr.) for coverage of […]

pManifold as Knowledge Partner to IIES 2011 organized a workshop on ‘Solar PV System – Technology, Risks, Manufacturing, EPC, O&M, Investment’. The workshop brought best Industry experts and participants through out the country. pManifold Indis_Solar PV_IIES_Workshop_report View more presentations from pManifold Topics and brief content covered in the workshop Speakers of the workshop Akash – CEO, Indis EnergyK.E. Raghunathan – […]

The guidelines for second batch under Phase I of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) were announced recently by Ministry of New and Renewable Eneergy (MNRE) . The excerpts of the guidelines are captured in our previous blog. To give strong impetus in promoting domestic manufacturing, the developers are expected to procure their project components from domestic […]

MNRE has recently released the list of all grid operating solar PV projects in India (latest updated as on July 2011. See the detailed list here and also below). The Project Developers for these cumulative 45.5MW capacity plants were: With increasing Solar EPC and manufacturing experience building in Indian players, MNRE has also published a performance report on 6 grid […]

A comparative view of top level findings is shown here, developed using the location specific reports of Shajapur, Ujjain & Dewas available here along with 6 other districts in Madhya Pradesh (MP). See our earlier blog: The analysis shows that in the above 3 districts, a substantial percentage of dissatisfaction in Customers is coming due to 2 […]

This is the summary of results from the top level analysis, developed using the ‘Consolidated Report’ of all the 9 districts in Madhya Pradesh (MP). Across all 9 districts, expectations of customers based on certain factors like Customer Service, Power Quality & Reliability and Price are significantly leading to high Dissatisfaction among all categories of […]

DIRECTIVE The Ministry of Power Govt. of India issued a directives for implementation in the all States of India, after seeking consultation with Ministry of Law and Justice and said that, “Section 42(ii) read with the first and fifth proviso is a self-contained code with regard to consumers who required the supply of electricity of […]

Our recent blog ‘Key comparison of revised RFPs for Jharkhand Distribution Franchisees’ covered the baseline comparison between old and revised RFPs for 3 forthcoming Power Distribution Franchisees in Jharkhand – Ranchi, Dhanbad and Jamshedpur. JSEB has given minimum benchmark input price curve for all the regions, mandating bidders to bid higher than given price curve for all […]

This is a consolidation of our previous blogs, focussed more to help the current bidders for Madhya Pradesh DF bids. Bidders Perspective Utility and Regulators perspective Customer perspective Distribution Model perspective         Also pManifold organised a workshop Utility Monitoring and Power Distribution Franchisee: Enhancing SEB’s Performance  Also we have detailed local intelligence reports on […]

Recently, BSEB has released revised RFPs for Power Distribution Franchisee for 4 districts in Bihar – PESU, Muzaffarpur, Gaya and Bhagalpur. pManifold’s DF Attractiveness Matrix, provides a quick comparative study on key decision parameters for Bihar 4 DFs with reference to other states DFs like for Nagpur, Agra, Gwalior and Jamshedpur. (click on the image to see enlarged […]

Mr. Amulya Charan, Chief Mentor, Power Trading and Advocacy at Tata Power has 22+ years of experience in the Indian Power Sector, spanning Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Trading. With senior Mgmt. roles at NTPC, Power Grid, Tata Power Ltd., he was ex- MD at Tata Power Trading Company Ltd for four years. Mr. Charan shared following views in recent […]

Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB), after a long gap of nearly 2 years has come back, issuing revised Request for Proposal (RFP) for appointment of Distribution Franchisee for following areas/regions: At last, BSEB got a final go ahead from the High Court to re-initiate its privatization initiative for Power supply, which went into long litigation […]

Ease of doing Distribution Franchisee business – PESU Local Intelligence Apart from technical & financial parameters it is important for the bidders to evaluate the local intelligence for its operation & ease of setting up a business. pManifold has developed a process to research on the local intelligence through its network & secondary research to provide […]

Gaya is located at 24.78°N 85.0°E. Gaya is the second largest city of Bihar. Gaya is 100 kilometers south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Situated on the banks of Phalgu. It is surrounded by small rocky hills by three sides and the river flowing on the fourth (eastern) side. Region Gaya Municipal Corporation […]

Muzaffarpur located at  26°07?N 85°24?E. The district occupies an area of 3173 km. Muzaffarpur lies between the Burhi Gandak River and Furdoo nallah. Muzaffarpur is one of the many gateways to Nepal. Region Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation No. of Household 650,882(2001) Male population 2,517,500 Female population 2,261,110 Total population 4,778,610 Density(peoples/sq.km) 1,506 Slum population 77456 […]

About the Client CEO of an Environment management company with 10 business verticals Client Problem CEO wanted to execute a structured exercise for the company’s long term strategic planning involving 10 business unit heads to align individual business unit goals with organizational goals, structure and policies. The Solution pManifold Proposition Results / Benefit to Client […]

There has been a huge hue and cry about the unavailability of consumer data with the Indian utilities. However, the question that needs to be asked is that whether we have really made an effort to collect the right data set? And if we have, do we have the processes to continuously update the database […]

As the operator tries rolling out the services, the foremost task at-hand is creating the base-line for the utility. This, typically, is collated using a consumer survey called consumer indexing (CI). The operator main aim is to collect the information required for consumer demography and demand estimation. The figure below shows the variety of data […]

The high risks in the complex, unpredictable and highly political process of water sector reforms are unavoidable given the “essential goods” perception of water. However, what the utility operators need to understand is that investing time and money in “strategic communications” early in the engagement of water reforms and that it leads to a much […]

Mr. Ajai Nirula, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Tata Power – Delhi Distribution Limited (TP-DDL) was one of the sessions moderator in recently concluded IUKAN 2013. As a veteran in the Power industry, he shared his inputs on various distribution reforms and the challenges associated with it. Q1) What are the current trends in PPP models for Power Utilities […]

Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd. (PGVCL), the largest Power Distribution Utility, compared to other distribution utilities in Gujarat, is serving more than 47 lakhs customers, across 8 districts and 44 divisions. The utility PGVCL has considerable losses (both Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) and Transmission & Distribution (T&D)) compared to other utilities and hence, is […]

One recent success for Distribution Franchisee model in the country was first debt funding to Essel DF project at Nagpur. SBI Caps was involved in Debt Syndication partner role. Rahul Bagdia from pManifold Team recently spoke to Mr. Sudarshan Mohotta, VP Project Advisory & Structured Finance Division, SBI Capital Markets. Mr. Mohotta and his team were instrumental in […]

While Indian Discoms continue to focus on AT&C loss reduction, which in many cases stands to the order of greater than 60%, and lot of private efforts is getting attracted in, it is clear that this is a massive Energy Efficiency (EE) drive. There are various talked instruments for EE financing, but not much has been […]

Mr. Ajoy Mehta, MD, MSEDCL, in a recent Business Technology Conclave of IUKAN extended strong support to Power Distribution Franchisee model, for country to build sustainable power utilities. He shared his experience and vision for further strengthening of the Power DF model. A brief excerpt in form of Q&As from his Vision session at IUKAN is shared […]

Bihar is one of the fastest growing States in the Country and has acquired considerable attention throughout the country and even abroad for its remarkable performance on the development front. The requirement for an enhanced Transmission and Distribution (T&D) infrastructure has ensured a firm commitment from the State Government, for transforming the present power sector […]

Noida Power Company Ltd (NPCL), a joint venture between the RP-Sajiv Goenka Group, a leading business house in India and Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority, distributes power in Greater Noida, near Delhi in Uttar Pradesh. The Company started its operations in December 1993 under a 30-year license from U.P. Government and is among the leading […]

Asia Power Quality Initiative (APQI) aims to create and build awareness on issues related to Power Quality (PQ). APQI was ‘Power Quality’ partner to IUKAN 2014 earlier this year. The group continues spreading the essential message of PQ to various stakeholders, helping businesses and industries with improved understanding and insights. Recently, they published a very interesting […]

The Ministry of Power’s financial restructuring plan has made the introduction of private participation in distribution as one of the mandatory conditions for availing the benefits of scheme (as a result of high AT&C losses, low IT involvement and huge financial losses). Whilst State Governments’ (except Delhi and Odisha) have not undertaken privatisation of Discoms, […]

India and most developing countries continue to struggle for 24×7 power supply, good Power Quality (PQ) environment, and Energy Efficient (EE) economy. See APQI earlier blog that tries to quantify economic impact from poor PQ environment – Are developing economies at risk due to power quality issues and challenges? Another follow-up question will be WHO IS […]

The Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Limited (UGVCL), a second largest state discom in Gujarat serving almost 2.9 million customers, has its network spread across an area of 49,950 Sq. Km. It was the rated the second best state power distribution utility, by the Ministry of Power (MoP), with due recognition to its excellent performance in […]

The Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2014 has envisaged separation of carriage (distribution network licensee) and content (electricity supply licensee). Rationale is to bring multiple supply licensees to increase competition and choice to end-customers, and drive improved efficiency and customer services. The network will be owned and managed by one preferably State agency, and will be regulated. […]

The Indian Power Distribution landscape is changing rapidly and going through various developments and reforms. In addition to high AT&C losses, the sector is struggling with increasing share of power purchase costs and financial constraints. Further, unforeseen shortages of fuel and poor planning by power distribution companies (discoms) has led to a steep rise in […]

There has been a continuous and growing interest for grid connected solar rooftops across India. This is primarily due to shift in consumer behaviour across all consumer categories (residential, industrial, commercial, etc.). The consumer is not just interested in consuming electricity but also producing it. By installing solar in their own premise, they can now […]

India has a momentum with National Solar Mission with a goal of 40 GW IN 2022 for rooftop and recently, the goal for solar is extended to 100 GW in 2022. India and France launched International Solar Alliance to boost solar energy in 121 countries with an aim to deliberate on a finance mechanism for […]

pManifold was the knowledge partner at 2nd Annual Electric Vehicle India Summit 2019 which was held from 25th – 27th February in Delhi organised by Explore Exhibition The Summit was held for 3 days. 1-day Workshop followed by 2 days Conference where various EV Thought Leaders imparted knowledge & shared their insights with the audience. Day […]

Indian Power market has fast changed and further evolving post unbundling reforms. There is rapid emergence of various private/PPP models across Power Distribution. There is high attractiveness of the end B2C Power Distribution business, as it brings cash for all other businesses in the value chain. The recent surgence of Franchisee models in Distribution has […]

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Some recent discussion on best practices at Linkedin Power Distribution Franchisee group have started discussing the role of Customers in helping reduce AT&C losses. Some key excerpts: ” …. I strongly feel that key factor for reduction of AT&C loss is very much linked with consumer care initiatives and winning consumer confidence. With the support of consumer group one can […]

Source: Mr. Hemant Diddee, Heta DataIn Operating Distribution Franchisee are of the opinion that there is need of strong technical due diligence of Distribution network and equipment to arrive at realistic estimation of investment needed in infrastructure & assets. Some recent discussion points in this regard are: “…..Due-Diligence is of utmost important, as in case of Agra, the […]

Bhiwandi, Maharashtra saw the first successful pilot of Power Distribution Franchisee (DF), with Torrent Power Ltd. (TPL) as selected Franchisee and MSEDCL the original licensee. The model adopted was Input based franchisee – with TPL agreeing to purchase power from MSEDCL at the input point to Bhiwandi circle at year-wise fixed input energy rate (Rs./kWh) for a contract period […]

There are ongoing lot of controversies about Power Distribution Franchisee (DF) applications and transparency of businesses running them. While some of them are definitely right and need to be intervened, but many of them are arising from missing information. Our earlier blog ‘Lack of good baseline data & reporting leads to irrational Power Franchisee bidding‘ […]

The current approach to furnish baseline information for Distribution Franchisee (DF) RFP undertaken by the utility has following limitations: It is suggested that the utility appoints a third party to do a good baseline data preparation – integrating real-time measurements and all secondary data already with the utility. This information could go as common information […]