Innovations and collaborations advancing smart grid and utility management

Industry leaders gathered at India Smart Utility Week (ISUW) 2025 to showcase technological advancements in smart grid infrastructure, sustainable energy management, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Phil Beecher, President & CEO, Wi-SUN Alliance

“We actively work within standards organisations to stay ahead of cybersecurity threats and deliver solutions that meet the latest requirements.”

Avner Matmor, Chairman & CEO- Yitran

“We developed a robust algorithm that ensures reliable communication even in challenging environments.”

Remi Demerle, Director of Corporate Marketing- LoRa Alliance

“A new relay feature maximises connectivity for every meter, extending coverage for several kilometres and connecting up to 16 devices without the need for internet.”

Thyagaraj Ramachandran, Director- AspenTech

“AspenTech’s software powers the world’s largest synchronous grid managed by the Indian National Dispatch Center,”

The recently held India Smart Utility Week (ISUW) 2025 brought together industry leaders to showcase technological advancements in smart grid infrastructure, sustainable energy management, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. EPR brings you major insights from the interaction with notable participants, including Wi-SUN Alliance, Yitran, LoRa Alliance and AspenTech.

Wi-SUN Alliance ensures secure and scalable networks.

President & CEO of Wi-SUN Alliance, Phil Beecher, emphasised the organisation’s commitment to promoting interoperable wireless mesh technology for large-scale critical infrastructure. “Since the beginning, we have used certificate-based security to ensure that all nodes that join the network are who they say they are,” said Beecher. “We actively work within standards organisations to stay ahead of cybersecurity threats and deliver solutions that meet the latest requirements.”

Wi-SUN has a strong presence in India, collaborating with local utilities to achieve smart grid deployment. “Our focus is the utility industry and ensuring that our member companies can contribute to a sustainable green future,” Beecher added.

Yitran enhancing smart grids with advanced communication solutions.

Avner Matmor, Chairman and CEO of Yitran, introduced their pioneering narrowband powerline communication (PLC) chip, designed to overcome grid noise challenges in countries like India. “Most foreign communication technologies don’t work on noisy grids like in India,” Matmor explained. We developed a robust algorithm that ensures reliable communication even in challenging environments.”

Yitran’s chip includes advanced features like tagging, indexing, and device identification, which address challenges in identifying the customer’s connection to transformers. “Our technology provides the answer to knowing exactly where the customer is connected without ambiguity,” Matmor highlighted.

LoRa Alliance expanding connectivity with LoRaWAN technology

Remi Demerle, Director of Corporate Marketing at LoRa Alliance, highlighted the alliance’s advancements in LoRaWAN technology. Established in 2015, LoRa Alliance has been instrumental in maintaining and developing the LoRaWAN standard supporting applications in smart metering, smart cities and industrial management.

“With LoRaWAN, it is possible to build your network or rely on a public operator,” said Demerle. “A new relay feature maximises connectivity for every meter, extending coverage for several kilometres and connecting up to 16 devices without the need for internet.”

Collaborations with organisations like the DLMS User Association and the Internet Engineering Task Force have further enhanced interoperability. “Through these partnerships, we ensure seamless communication across devices, enabling reliable data exchange for smart meters and other applications,” Demerle emphasised. 

AspenTech enables utilities with digital solutions.

Thyagaraj Ramachandran, Director at AspenTech, presented the company’s role in delivering digital solutions for the power sector. “AspenTech’s software powers the world’s largest synchronous grid managed by the Indian National Dispatch Center,” Ramachandran stated. “We provide comprehensive energy management, distribution management and outage management systems ensuring efficient and reliable grid operations.”

Companies like Wi-SUN Alliance, Yitran, LoRa Alliance, and AspenTech are reliable for smart grid development. These organisations contribute to India’s more resilient, secure, and sustainable energy future.