Power ministry working on plan to boost domestic mfg of critical items

The authority has identified a list of 73 critical items through recent consultations with IEEMA and major industry stakeholders

The Power Ministry is collaborating with the industry to identify critical electricity sector components, such as subsea cables and high-conductivity copper rods, that rely on imports and require support for local manufacturing.

 

“This initiative has become essential in the current scenario, as the power sector remains reliant heavily on imported advanced components, making it vulnerable to global supply chain risks and price volatility,” said the Central Electricity Authority in a communication to Indian Electrical Equipment Manufacturers Association (IEEMA). The authority is an arm of the ministry.

 

The authority said localisation will assist the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision by boosting domestic manufacturing, reducing foreign exchange outflow, and strengthening grid resilience and energy security. “A realistic, industry-backed assessment is essential for preparing a financially sound proposal for the Ministry of Power,” it said. 

The authority has made a list of 73 critical items after consultations with IEEMA and industry stakeholders, including ABB, Aditya Birla, Hyosung, Polycab, Dong-Woo Quantum India, Sterlite, Schneider, Toshiba, KEC, and Jindal Aluminium. The items are imported due to technology gaps, limited domestic manufacturing capabilities, or economies of scale challenges.

 

It has prioritised 16 items for immediate attention, primarily due to their high import dependency and criticality for the power sector. The remaining 57 items, although recognised as critical, require further detailed and quantified inputs from domestic or international manufacturers interested in exploring manufacturing opportunities in India.

 

“Such information is essential to accurately assess the total financial implications and formulate a comprehensive item-wise localisation strategy based on criticality, feasibility, and industry readiness,” said the authority.

 

It has requested the industry to provide detailed comments and suggestions specifying the estimated cost of items, annual domestic volume requirement for the next 10 years, percentage contribution of items to the total cost of the final products, import levels, and the financial support required from the government.

 

Apart from subsea cables, permanent magnets for actuators and copper rods, the list also includes aluminum-zinc coated steel sheets, valve assemblies for HVDC systems, porcelain hollow insulators, ethernet switches and lightning arresters, among others. 

Thrust areas, feedback

• Identifying import-dependent power components for domestic manufacturing
• Focus on subsea cables, copper rods, advanced materials
• Reducing supply chain risks and price volatility
• Sixteen high-priority items flagged for immediate action
• Industry inputs sought for cost, volume, and feasibility