POWER MINISTER INAUGURATES EDICON 2026, CALLS FOR FINANCIALLY STRONG DISCOMS AND IMPROVED SERVICES – EQ
In Short : The Union Power Minister inaugurated EDICON 2026, underscoring the critical need for financially robust distribution companies and improved quality of electricity services. Highlighting DISCOMs as the backbone of the power sector, the Minister called for reforms, efficiency improvements, and consumer-centric operations to ensure reliable, affordable power and support India’s evolving energy and economic ambitions.
In Detail : Shri Manohar Lal, Minister of Power today said that the power sector in coming times is going to become enormous. The growing economy requires a thriving power sector far more than we can imagine today. In such a scenario, it is crucial for our DISCOMs to be strong, prosperous, and financially empowered, he said. Strong DISCOMs means improved services and greater sensitivity towards needs of consumers.
The minister was delivering the inaugural address at ‘Electricity Distribution Industry Conference ‘EDICON: 2026’ here today. The EDICON on 21-22 January 2026 is organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Power, in collaboration with All India Discoms Association (AIDA).
The Minister urged the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions to move forward towards cost-reflective tariffs, while also ensuring targeted subsidies for needy consumers in accordance with the provisions of the Electricity Act.
The Minister unveiled the first publication of the annual report of AIDA titled ‘India Discoms: 2025’, which contains an outlook of the distribution sector, including present efforts from distribution companies to improve the reliability of supply and operational efficiency, the challenges being faced by the distribution companies, and a brief summary of the various initiatives taken by Ministry of Power and CERC to address these challenges like key features of the Draft Electricity Amendment Bill, India Energy Stack, etc. The annual report also includes thirteen articles from eminent personalities in the power sector, besides a brief summary of various activities in the year 2025.
The Minister also conferred Gold and Silver awards to 12 Discoms across six different categories. These included Discoms from Gujarat, Odisha, Assam, Bihar, UP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The six award categories related to Improvement in recovery of revenue in rural areas, Best use of smart meter data, Improvement in consumer satisfaction in terms of digital payments, Innovation in renewable energy integration, Agricultural feeder solarization, and Effective change management for improvement in consumer services.
Shri Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India, Shri Lokesh Chandra, CMD, MSEDCL and President, AIDA, Dr. Ashish Kumar Goel, Chairperson, UPPCL and General Secretary, AIDA, Shri Alok Kumar, Director General, AIDA and other eminent personalities from power sector were present on the occasion.
