New Delhi: Eight states and union territories, including the National Capital Territory of Delhi, have reported zero smart meter installations under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) as of June 2025, despite the scheme’s nationwide rollout two years ago. This was revealed in a written response submitted by Minister of State for Power Shripad Yesso Naik in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
According to the data presented, the states and UTs with no smart meters installed under RDSS so far include Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab, Goa, Meghalaya, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Puducherry. These regions have received sanctions for smart meter deployment but have not yet reported any actual installation on the ground.
Delhi, notably, was sanctioned just 3,521 smart meters, but none have been installed. Tamil Nadu had the highest sanctioned number among zero-installation states — over 3.04 crore meters — yet it reported no progress in physical rollout as of June 30, 2025.
On the other end of the spectrum, several states have made substantial progress. Uttar Pradesh leads with over 29.07 lakh smart meters installed, followed by Assam, which has deployed 35.63 lakh meters, and Maharashtra with 41.82 lakh meters installed. These three states account for over 47 percent of all installations under RDSS so far.
Other notable performers include Bihar (20.36 lakh), Chhattisgarh (21.99 lakh), Madhya Pradesh (21.88 lakh), and Gujarat (19.46 lakh), indicating stronger execution in the rollout of smart metering infrastructure.
As per the ministry’s response, a total of 20.33 crore smart meters have been sanctioned across the country under RDSS, out of which 2.44 crore had been installed as of June 30 — representing about 12 percent progress toward the sanctioned target. The deadline for completing installations under RDSS is March 2028.
The RDSS has a total outlay of Rs 3.03 lakh crore, with gross budgetary support of Rs 97,631 crore from the Centre. The scheme is designed to improve the financial and operational efficiency of discoms, with smart metering as a key component. It also includes targeted works worth Rs 1.51 lakh crore to reduce Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses through network upgrades.
The ministry stated that fund release is tied to performance indicators, including reduction in AT&C losses, timely filing of tariff petitions, and timely payments of subsidies and government dues. With these reforms, the Centre claims, national AT&C losses have declined from 21.91 percent in FY21 to 16.12 percent in FY24.