Uday: Critical reform for power growth

Anil Kadam, GM (Business Development), Solution Architect, Schneider Electric India

Initiatives started delivering
The power sector in India has been facing with challenges since long. Some of the major ones include fuel security concerns, debt ridden condition of state DISCOMS, under-procurement of power by states, inimical financing environment.

Today, renewable energy comprises of about 33 per cent of India’s primary energy consumptions. India is consistently adopting responsible renewable energy techniques and taking decisive steps towards carbon emissions, cleaning the air and ensuring a more sustainable future. Anil Kadam, GM (Business Development), Solution Architect, Schneider Electric India says, “In India, from the last two and half decades there has been a dynamic pursuit of activities relating to research, development, demonstration, production and application of a variety of renewable energy technologies for use in different sectors.”

The game changer initiative
“UDAY initiative aimed at financial turnaround and revival of electricity distribution companies (DISCOMS) is an important reform that is critical for the overall growth of the power sector in India,” obverses Anil. In the past few years, India has moved from being a power deficit country to a power surplus nation. It has been incredible power generation capacity addition – both traditional and renewable sources. Good financial health of discoms is critical for ensuring that they can off-take power generated by developers and ensures a healthy ecosystem.

Major changes during past one year
India’s power sector is going through phenomenal change. The country has the fifth largest power generation capacity in the world and ranks third globally in terms of electricity production. Electricity production in India reached 584.22 Billion Units (BU) during April-September 2016. As per the 12th five year plan, India is targeting a total of 88.5 GW of power capacity addition by 2017, of which, 72.3 GW constitutes thermal power, 10.8 GW hydro and 5.3 GW nuclear.

Renewable energy is fast emerging as a major source of power in India. Wind energy is the largest source of renewable energy in India. It accounts for an estimated 60 per cent of total installed capacity 21.1GW. There are plans to double wind power generation capacity to 20GW by 2022. India is also planning to raise the solar power generation capacity addition target by five times to 100GW by 2022.

Schneider Electric’s performance during past one year
“In India and the US, two of our largest markets, the services business witnessed impressive growth. We grew our overall business manifold through partners and integrators; we want to continue to develop OEM solutions,” says Anil.
Moving ahead in 2017, Schneider Electric’s execution priority is to leverage the group complete portfolio for data centers. Anil says, “We are the only player able to leverage everything from the gray space to the white space, including the security of the building. Grow EcoStruxure for datacentre with the acceleration of the launch of our cloud-based software, StruxureOn.”

Innovative strategies
“We will continue to leverage the world’s new energy challenges, serve the increasing need for automation of our customers in key market segments, support the digital transformation of customers and partners and leverage the opportunity from new economies,” says Anil. ”Schneider Electric’s competitive strengths include technological leadership in energy management and automation, multiple channels of access to a broad and diffuse user base and layout a global reach with a unique local presence.”