The Hindu : Business : ‘Replicate the success of IT in the power sector’

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Friday, Oct 31, 2008
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‘Replicate the success of IT in the power sector’

Special Correspondent

Infosys, CSTEP report provides roadmap to improve efficiency in the sector

— PHOTO: PTI

POWER OF IT: (from left) Union Minister of State for Power and Commerce Jairam Ramesh, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chairman, Infosys, Nandan Nilekani, at a press conference in Bangalore on Thursday.

BANGALORE: Infosys Technologies and the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), at the request of the Union Power Ministry, on Thursday jointly brought out a report to provide roadmap for increasing the efficiency of the power sector, especially the distribution sector, through IT application.The report — Technology: Enabling the transformation of power distribution in India — was released at the Infosys campus here by Union Minister of State for Power and Commerce Jairam Ramesh.

“There is a dire need to replicate the success of IT in the power sector,” the Minister observed. He asked the IT sector to tap the huge business opportunity available in in the power sector.

He said he would soon convene a meeting of all electricity supplying companies to discuss the ways and means of adopting IT applications.

The Minister indicated that the Revised-Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme (R-APDRP), which is being implemented at a cost of Rs. 50,000 crore, would make a provision for IT applications by Escoms. This programme was being taken up mainly to reduce energy losses from the present level of 33 per cent to 15 per cent by the end of XI Plan.

Pointing out that the country has set an ambitious target of adding an additional 78,000 MW to the grid in the next five years, he said it would not be feasible to make such a huge addition without reducing the energy losses. IT could play a major role in such a situation, he noted.

Mr. Ramesh said the Centre had already commenced several programmes to pave the way for application of IT in the power sector. Recently, an agreement had been entered among Tata Consultancy Services, Power Finance Corporation, National Thermal Power Corporation and National Hydro Power Corporation to set up the country’s third energy exchange, a forum for power trading. This forum is expected to commence operations next year.

Similarly, an agreement had been signed between TCS and BHEL to use the Asia’s fastest super computer facility set up by TCS in Pune for increasing the efficiency of power equipment manufacturing, he said.

Infosys Co-chairman Nandan M. Nilekani said the report had observed that the country’s power sector, especially the distribution sector, must undergo a fundamental transformation to service the economic growth and societal needs.

Karnataka Energy Department Principal Secretary K. Jairaj also spoke on the occasion.

Corrections and Clarifications

The caption of the accompanying PTI photograph in a report "'Replicate the success of IT in the power sector'" ("Business" page, October 31, 2008) described Mr. Nandan Nilekani as Chairman, Infosys. It should have been Co-chairman, Infosys, as mentioned in the text.

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