Uttar Pradesh discom scraps Adani's Rs 54 bn smart meter bid

07 Feb 2023 CW Team

Madhyachal Vidyut Vitran Nigam (MVVNL) of Uttar Pradesh has cancelled Adani Group's bid for the delivery of around 7.5 million smart metres to the power distribution business (discom) valued nearly Rs 54 billion.

According to sources, Adani Group made the lowest bid, but the discom cancelled it due to "unforeseen circumstances."

UP discoms representing several regions, including Madhyanchal, Dakshinanchal, Purvanchal, and Paschimanchal, had announced tenders for the provision of more than 25 million smart metres. The total bid value was projected to be Rs 250 billion.

Other bidders for the project included GMR, L&T, and Intellismart Infra. Intellismart Infra is a collaboration between Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).

Adani had given the lowest price of Rs 10,000 per smart metre. This was purportedly judged costlier, given the cost of Rs 6,000 per metre under the Rural Electrification Corporation's standing billing standard.

MVVNL had issued an e-tender to select an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) service provider for smart prepayment metering in MVVNL. In a February 4 notification, MVVNL stated, "The offer has been cancelled due to unavoidable reasons."

The discom is now likely to conduct a new tendering process. Other UP distribution companies could follow in the footsteps of MVVNL.

Interestingly, none of the four private companies in the fray are manufacturers of smart meters. They would have probably sublet the manufacturing after winning the contract.

Meanwhile, UP power consumers’ forum had already challenged the bids before the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC). They alleged that steep prices were quoted for the smart meters.

Also Read
India to receive largest green ammonia plant from Greenko Group
Tata Power and AutoGrid collaborate to expand Mumbai's energy system

Infrastructure Urban

05 Nov 2025

TBO Tek Q2 Profit Climbs 12%, Revenue Surges 26% YoY

TBO Tek Limited one of the world’s largest travel distribution platforms, reported a solid performance for Q2 FY26 with a 26 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue to Rs 5.68 billion, reflecting broad-based growth and improving profitability.The company recorded a Gross Transaction Value (GTV) of Rs 8,901 crore, up 12 per cent YoY, driven by strong performance across Europe, MEA, and APAC regions. Adjusted EBITDA before acquisition-related costs stood at Rs 1.04 billion, up 16 per cent YoY, translating into an 18.32 per cent margin compared to 16.56 per cent in Q1 FY26. Profit after tax r..

Northern Graphite, Rain Carbon Secure R&D Grant for Greener Battery Materials

Northern Graphite Corporation and Rain Carbon Canada Inc, a subsidiary of Rain Carbon Inc, have jointly received up to C$860,000 (€530,000) in funding under the Canada–Germany Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Programme to develop sustainable battery anode materials.The two-year, C$2.2 million project aims to transform natural graphite processing by-products into high-performance, battery-grade anode material (BAM). Supported by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Programme (NRC IRAP) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs a..

Antony Waste Q2 Revenue Jumps 16%; Subsidiary Wins Rs 3,200 Cr WtE Projects

Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited (AWHCL), a leading player in India’s municipal solid waste management sector, announced a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in total operating revenue to Rs 2.33 billion for Q2 FY26. The growth was driven by higher waste volumes, escalated contracts, and strong operational execution.EBITDA rose 18 per cent to Rs 570 million, with margins steady at 21.6 per cent, while profit after tax stood at Rs 173 million, up 13 per cent YoY. Revenue from Municipal Solid Waste Collection and Transportation (MSW C&T) reached Rs 1.605 billion, and MSW Processing re..