Hyderabad, Aug.18 : Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Finance, Planning, and Energy Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka inaugurated the India Energy Summit & Expo 2026 at Hitex Novotel in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Delivering the inaugural address, the Deputy Chief Minister reiterated the state government’s commitment to positioning Telangana as an attractive investment destination and a leading hub for clean energy manufacturing. The summit brought together senior officials, including Energy Special Chief Secretary Naveen Mittal, TRANSCO Chairman & Managing Director D. Krishna Bhaskar, TGNPDCL Chairman & Managing Director K. Varun Reddy, and TGSPDCL Chairman & Managing Director Jitesh V. Patil.
Participating in a panel discussion titled “Modernizing Transmission and Distribution Smart Grids for a Reliable Power Future,” TGNPDCL Chairman & Managing Director Karnati Varun Reddy detailed the deployment of advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, network mapping, and smart metering initiatives across the discom’s operational jurisdiction. He highlighted strategic measures being undertaken to control power procurement costs, digitize grid networks, and manage demand flexibility. CMD Varun Reddy noted that over the next three to four years, the average cost per unit of power procurement is projected to decline steadily, significantly improving the discom’s financial sustainability as renewable energy tariffs drop to historic benchmarks.
Elaborating on technological integration, CMD Varun Reddy revealed that TGNPDCL is digitizing all data sources from sub-stations down to consumer end-points. By leveraging AI-driven data analytics, the discom has been able to identify high-loss feeders and enhance revenue generation, achieving gains equivalent to reducing losses tenfold over the past year.
He pointed out that expanding renewable integration has converted distribution networks into bi-directional energy flows, citing the Model Solar Mandal project in Bonakal, Khammam—which balances 20 MW of demand with 14 MW of local generation—as a blueprint for future EHT and distribution planning. To address sudden peak demand shifts in rural sectors, he advocated for grid storage solutions and incentive-based EV charging tariffs, while confirming the deployment of underground cabling, covered conductors, and Fault Passage Indicators (FPIs) to maintain uninterrupted power supply.
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