Lok Sabha Question No. 181 (STARRED), answered on 2026-02-12
Subject: Aggregate Technical and Commercial Losses
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun

THE MINISTER OF POWER

(SHRI MANOHAR LAL)

(a) to (e) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.181 ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026

AGGREGATE TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL LOSSES

*181.  DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

(a) the  current  national  average  of  Aggregate  Technical  and  Commercial  (AT&C) losses and the State-wise comparison thereof;

(b) the measures taken by the Government under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) to modernise distribution networks;

(c) the impact of technical losses on the financial health of State DISCOMs;

(d) the steps taken by the Government to strengthen feeder metering and smart-grid deployment in Karnataka; and

(e) whether any smart-metering pilot projects have been implemented in Davanagere district in Karnataka and if so, the details and outcome thereof?

A N S W E R

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.181  FOR  REPLY  ON  12.02.2026  REGARDING  AGGREGATE TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL LOSSES ASKED BY DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN.

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(a)  to  (c):  Electricity  being  a  concurrent  subject,  supply  and  distribution  of electricity  to  all  consumers  is  within  the  purview  of  the  respective  State Government/ distribution utility. Government of India (GoI) has been supplementing the efforts of the States to improve the financial health of the distribution  utilities  including  reduction  in  their  Aggregate  Technical  and Commercial (AT&C) losses. This parameter comprises the technical loss which reflects the energy that could not be billed due to energy lost in the distribution network  and  the  commercial  losses  as  a  result  of  theft,  billing  errors  and collection inefficiency against the energy billed.

A  key  measure  to  improve  the  technical  losses  is  to  strengthen  the distribution infrastructure for which GoI has supported States through financial assistance under schemes like Integrated Power Distribution Scheme (IPDS) and currently under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) to help achieve the objective of providing quality and reliable supply of power to all consumers.

IPDS  was  launched  by  the  Government  of  India  in  December  2014  for strengthening of the distribution networks in urban areas of the country. Works amounting to Rs 58,686 crore were executed under the scheme.

RDSS was launched in July 2021, with the objective of providing reliable and quality power  to consumers  through  a  financially sustainable and operationally efficient distribution sector. Under the scheme, projects worth Rs. 1.53 lakh crore for loss reduction infrastructure and Rs. 1.31 lakh crore for smart metering have been sanctioned based on proposals submitted by the States.

The following works to strengthen and modernize the distribution network were sanctioned in the above schemes:

-  Works  for  creation  of  new/upgradation  of  substations  including  Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) Substations
-  Installation  of  new Distribution Transformers (DT) and augmentation of existing DTs

……..2.

-  Replacement of old conductors
-  Underground of HT/LT lines
-  Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) works
-  Under  RDSS,  Pre-paid  smart  metering  works  covering  19.79  crore consumers and smart system metering works for 2.11 lakh feeders and 52.53 lakh DTs have been sanctioned. Till date, 4.19 crore smart meters have been installed under RDSS, and overall, 5.59 crore smart meters have been installed across the country under various schemes including 6.54 lakh smart meters under IPDS.

The works sanctioned under RDSS are at various stages of implementation. The IPDS stands closed as on March 2022.

Further,  under  RDSS,  release  of  funds  for  distribution  infrastructure  is linked to performance of the distribution utilities against various parameters including AT&C losses. It is envisaged to nudge the utilities to take measures to improve their financial health.

With collective efforts of Centre & States/UTs and the reform measures taken, the AT&C Losses of distribution utilities have reduced from 22.62% in FY2014 to 15.04% in FY2025 at the national level. State-wise AT&C Losses as on 31.03.2025 is enclosed at Annexure.

(d) & (e) : Under IPDS, distribution infrastructure works amounting to Rs 2,352 Cr were implemented in the State of Karnataka. Executed works included new GIS  substations,  new/  augmentation  of  substation/  DT,  underground  cabling works etc.

Karnataka has not participated under RDSS. As reported by the State, 18,438 nos. of 11kV feeder energy meters have been installed. In addition, smart metering works are being carried out in the State as per KERC Regulations.

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## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN PARTS (a) TO (c) OF THE STATEMENT LAID IN REPLY TO STARRED QUESTION NO. 181 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 12.02.2026 REGARDING AGGREGATE TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL LOSSES

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## AT&C Loss (%) as on 31.03.2025

| State/ UT                 |   AT&C Loss (%) |
|---------------------------|-----------------|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands |           24.14 |
| Andhra Pradesh            |            7.87 |
| Arunachal Pradesh         |           46.2  |
| Assam                     |           15.44 |
| Bihar                     |           15.51 |
| Chhattisgarh              |           14.25 |
| Delhi                     |            6.56 |
| Goa                       |           10.39 |
| Gujarat                   |            7.8  |
| Haryana                   |           11.76 |
| Himachal Pradesh          |           19.44 |
| Jharkhand                 |           28.19 |
| Karnataka                 |           11.92 |
| Kerala                    |            6.61 |
| Ladakh                    |           26.82 |
| Madhya Pradesh            |           22.76 |
| Maharashtra               |           16.9  |
| Manipur                   |           12.9  |
| Meghalaya                 |           17.52 |
| Mizoram                   |           32.31 |
| Nagaland                  |           48.86 |
| Odisha                    |           17.81 |
| Puducherry                |           14.72 |
| Punjab                    |           19.21 |
| Rajasthan                 |           15.18 |
| Sikkim                    |           21.84 |
| Tamil Nadu                |           10.96 |
| Telangana                 |           19.84 |
| Tripura                   |           29.61 |
| Uttar Pradesh             |           19.26 |
| Uttarakhand               |           15.08 |
| West Bengal               |           16.96 |
| National                  |           15.04 |

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