Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) has floated e-tenders in seven packages for installing 17.7 mn smart meters across municipal corporation areas under the Centre’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

The tenders seek Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Providers (AMISPs) under the Total Expenditure (TOTEX) model. The meters will cover all low-tension (LT) consumers except government buildings, agricultural connections and hut services.

The Chennai region has been divided into two packages, while the remaining 23 municipal corporations have been grouped into five packages. The proposed groupings include Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai in one package; Erode and Karur in another; Tiruchy and Thanjavur in a third; and Madurai and Tirunelveli in a fourth.

The Chennai region is proposed to receive 5.685 mn smart meters. About 129,000 meters have already been installed in T Nagar under the Smart City Mission. The project was initially intended to cover about 3.88 mn LT services across the Chennai Metropolitan area, but its scope has now been expanded to all municipal corporations in the state.

TNPDCL has also issued a separate tender for 472,000 smart meters at distribution transformers. These meters are expected to help the distribution company monitor energy flows, identify technical and commercial losses, and detect possible power theft.

The programme has undergone several rounds of tendering. An earlier tender issued in August 2023 to cover all 30 mn electricity consumers was cancelled in December 2024 after a weak bidder response and concerns over maintenance costs. Fresh tenders issued in March 2025 and revised in August for 14.4 mn consumers using more than 400 units every two months were also cancelled. The latest installation process is required to be completed by March 2028 under Union government norms.