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Power Ministry
A parliamentary panel has urged the power ministry to undertake urgent measures to accelerate installation of smart metres in a structured and time-bound manner. The Eleventh Report of the Committee on 'Demands for Grants (2026-27) of Ministry of Power' was tabled in Parliament on Thursday. The report said since the pace of installation of smart meters across the country has been far below the envisaged targets, the ministry should undertake urgent measures to significantly accelerate the rollout of smart meters in a structured and time-bound manner, with clearly defined state-wise and utility-wise milestones. It noted that the government had set a target of installation of 25 crore smart meters in the country by March 2025, against which only 5.83 crore smart meters have been installed till February 15, 2026. The committee observed that although the rate of installation of smart meters in the country has increased to about 1,35,000 per day, it may still be insufficient to bridge t
The power ministry has decided to set up a search-cum-selection committee to look for the head of state-owned electricity generator NTPC, as government headhunter PESB failed to identify a suitable candidate. The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB), under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which is responsible for hiring candidates for top management posts of central public sector enterprises (CPSES), interviewed a dozen of candidates for the post of CMD of NTPC. The incumbent, Gurdeep Singh, was to superannuate on July 31, 2025, but his service as NTPC's CMD was extended till August 1, 2026, in the absence of a successor. The power ministry, in a notice issued on February 28, said the appointment to the post of Chairman and Managing Director, NTPC Limited, will be done through a "Search-cum-selection Committee". Candidates can apply for the post on or before March 28, 2026, it said. The search-cum-selection committee route is taken when PESB fails to find a ...
The Ministry of Power has extended the timeline seeking stakeholders' comments on the Draft National Electricity Policy 2026 by one month till March 19. The timeline has been extended on the request of several stakeholders who have sought additional time to examine the provisions of the draft electricity policy, the Ministry said in a notification dated February 25. Earlier, the last date to submit comments and suggestions was February 19. The National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026 aims to address high losses and debt of discoms, non-cost-reflective tariffs, and high cross-subsidisation. A non-cost-reflective tariff is a pricing structure in which the rate charged to a particular consumer category is below the utility's average cost of generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity to that category. While cross-subsidisation is a pricing mechanism in which certain consumer groups (industrial, commercial, and higher-income domestic users) are charged tariffs above the cost
The government will take a consensual view before implementing the CAFE-III rules, which seek to limit average fuel consumption and carbon emissions across the entire model range of an automobile manufacturer, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said on Sunday. The Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency-III (CAFE-3), introduced by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), is proposed to be effective from April 1, 2027, to March 31, 2032. The government has sought feedback on the draft rule from stakeholders. Automobile makers have mixed views on its implementation framework, with some demanding a relaxed emission mandate for small cars based on weight and affordability. Those opposing the relaxation criteria argue that such a move would lead to a compromise on safety standards and hamper the country's clean energy transition. The draft norms, which were brought for discussions in September 2025, suggested relaxed conditions for small cars with an unladen mass up to 909 kg, engine capacity not
State-owned electricity generator NTPC on Friday said it has paid the power ministry Rs 2,666.58 crore in second interim dividend for FY26. A ceremonial cheque was handed over to Minister of Power Manohar Lal by company officials on February 25, NTPC said in a statement. "NTPC Ltd paid the second interim dividend of Rs 2,666.58 crore on 25th February 2026 for the financial year 2025-26, being 27.50 per cent of the paid-up equity share capital of the company," it said. This is the 33rd consecutive year that NTPC Ltd has paid a dividend. NTPC is India's largest power generation company, catering to the country's one-fourth of electricity demand. The company operates more than 87 GW of installed capacity, with another 32 GW under construction.
The power ministry has sent the proposal on the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE)-III norms to the Prime Minister's Office after a meeting with stakeholders, Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Wednesday, even as the auto industry appears to be divided over the treatment of small cars and changes in technical definitions. On differences among auto industry stakeholders on the CAFE-III norms, Kumarswamy told reporters, "We already had a meeting with stakeholders and power ministry. The power ministry, according to my information, now, after the meeting with stakeholders they have sent the proposal to PMO." No leniency must be granted to small cars in the corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE-III) norms on the basis of weight and affordability as it would compromise safety features while distracting from concrete action towards sustainable mobility, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd Managing Director & CEO Shailesh Chandra had said in November. However,
Union Power Minister Manohar Lal on Monday said pumped storage projects (PSPs) can play a critical role by storing surplus green power and meeting electricity demand during non-solar hours. India is currently a power-surplus nation, however, excess renewable energy capacity remains under utilised due to limited capacity tie-ups, he noted. The remarks came at a meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Members of Parliament at Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, a statement issued by the Ministry of Power said. The power minister urged the Members of the Committee to engage with states to consider withdrawal of charges such as Green Energy cess, water tax, and reservoir lease fees, to accelerate the development of PSPs. As per the ministry, around 224 GW PSP has been identified. Of this, ten PSPs with a total capacity of around 7 GW have been commissioned, another ten PSPs of about 12 GW capacity are under construction and fifty-six PSPs with a capacity of about 78 GW are at various stag
The Ministry of Power on Saturday announced the launch of a task force to conceive the India Energy Stack (IES), an initiative aimed at creating a unified, secure, and interoperable digital public infrastructure (DPI) for the energy sector. The IES will play a vital role in integrating renewable energy, enhancing DISCOM efficiency, and delivering transparent, reliable, and future-ready power services, an official statement quoted Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as saying. There is an urgent need for developing robust DPI in the power sector to manage the country's rising demand, ensure grid stability, and empower consumers. What Aadhaar did for identity and UPI achieved for digital payments, the India Energy Stack will accomplish for the power sector - unlocking seamless, secure, and consumer-centric energy services for every citizen," he added. As India charts its path to becoming a USD 5 trillion economy and advances towards its net-zero commitments, the power sector faces bot