"Power theft and billing inefficiency are emerging as major issues faced by the discoms which are reeling under heavy debt burden," Indian Electrical And Electronic Manufacturer Association (IEEMA) President Babu Babel told reporters here.
"We believe innovation, modernisation and effective governance will help discoms reduce these aggregate technical and commercial losses (AT&C)," Babel added.
The financial health of discoms can be improved through technology innovations and upgradation of infrastructure, he said.
Power thefts are estimated to be around Rs 70,000-100,000 crore, he added.
Speaking about the power situation in Maharashtra, Babel said the state has reduced its distribution losses to 14 per cent by March 2014 from 22 per cent in 2007-08.
The transformer failure rate also dropped to 9.18 per cent by March 2014 from 14.03 per cent in 2008-09.
"However, distribution losses are relatively higher in the state, which is a setback for the industry and the citizens. A large portion of 16,500 MW required in next five years can be successfully managed if Maharashtra enhances its plant load factor (PLF), reduce power theft, minimise AT&C losses," he said.
Talking about the event, Organising Committee Chairman Aaditya Dhoot said, "The platform will provide key decision makers from the finance sector an opportunity to interact with corporates, industry experts and SMEs from the power sector to understand the opportunities and key challenges in the industry, and is aimed at developing new business associations.