Kerala to Fully Transition to Smart Meters

24 Feb 2026 CW Team

In the first phase, prepaid smart meters will be installed in zero point one eight eight million (mn) state government offices. Of the Board's total 14 million (mn) consumers, zero point one eight eight million are government institutions that will be prioritised.

The Board is also installing smart meters on distribution transformers and has awarded a contract for zero point three million (mn) smart meters, including transformer units, to Iskraemeco India Private Limited, which is based in Kolkata. The contract covers procurement and initial deployment and is expected to form a significant part of the rollout. The Board stated that government offices will receive prepaid meters to enable automated disconnection when balances are exhausted.

KSEB plans to make the Smart Plus application available on the Google Play Store by the end of February so consumers can monitor consumption, check prepaid balances and recharge accounts. The application will support monitoring and automated balance alerts that will link to prepaid disconnection procedures. Officials expect the app to simplify energy management for households and institutions across the state.

The Centre increased the borrowing limit for states by zero point five per cent in the 2025–26 Union Budget and later conditioned additional borrowing on the installation of prepaid smart meters. The Centre proposed a Totex model under which the installer would bear the upfront cost and recover it through rental charges, but the Board opposed that approach. The state has therefore chosen the Capex model, under which the Board will bear the full cost of installation.

The Kerala State Electricity Board has received approval from the Power Department to install smart meters for domestic consumers and government offices across the state. Under the scheme, smart meters will be fitted for three point five million (mn) electricity consumers at an estimated cost of Rs 32.58 billion (bn), and the project cost could rise to Rs 50 billion (bn) if the number of consumers reaches five million. In the first phase, prepaid smart meters will be installed in zero point one eight eight million (mn) state government offices. Of the Board's total 14 million (mn) consumers, zero point one eight eight million are government institutions that will be prioritised. The Board is also installing smart meters on distribution transformers and has awarded a contract for zero point three million (mn) smart meters, including transformer units, to Iskraemeco India Private Limited, which is based in Kolkata. The contract covers procurement and initial deployment and is expected to form a significant part of the rollout. The Board stated that government offices will receive prepaid meters to enable automated disconnection when balances are exhausted. KSEB plans to make the Smart Plus application available on the Google Play Store by the end of February so consumers can monitor consumption, check prepaid balances and recharge accounts. The application will support monitoring and automated balance alerts that will link to prepaid disconnection procedures. Officials expect the app to simplify energy management for households and institutions across the state. The Centre increased the borrowing limit for states by zero point five per cent in the 2025–26 Union Budget and later conditioned additional borrowing on the installation of prepaid smart meters. The Centre proposed a Totex model under which the installer would bear the upfront cost and recover it through rental charges, but the Board opposed that approach. The state has therefore chosen the Capex model, under which the Board will bear the full cost of installation.

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

VECV Sales Rise 7.8 Per Cent In May 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles recorded sales of 7,978 units in May 2026, compared to 7,401 units in May 2025, registering growth of 7.8 per cent. This included 7,789 units from the Eicher brand and 189 units from the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,789 units during the month, up 7.3 per cent from 7,258 units a year earlier. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 9.1 per cent to 7,375 units from 6,758 units in May 2025.Exports declined 17.2 per cent to 414 units from 500 units in the corresponding month last year. Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses recor..

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

Table Space Strengthens DESYN Leadership Team

Table Space has announced strategic leadership appointments within DESYN, its integrated Design and Build business, as it looks to strengthen operations across key enterprise and GCC markets in India. DESYN was launched as a strategic extension of Table Space’s workspace solutions portfolio to meet rising demand for agile, high-quality and rapidly deployable enterprise workspaces.Shruti Ookabhoy has joined DESYN as Executive Director and will lead the Design vertical, focusing on design capability, operational excellence and team development across markets. She brings over 22 years of experi..

Infrastructure Transport

02 Jun 2026

Concord Associate Bags Rs 2.79 Bn Kavach Order

Concord Control Systems said its associate company, Progota India, has received a Rs 2.79 bn domestic order from Indian Railways for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of on-board Kavach 4.0 loco equipment.The order is scheduled for execution within 12 months and strengthens Concord’s role in India’s railway safety and signalling ecosystem. Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, designed to improve operational safety by helping prevent signal passing at danger and reducing collision risks.Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Syst..