Schneider Electric and BRPL Launch India’s First SF6‑Free Smart Grid Pilot

• Schneider Electric and BSES Rajdhani (BRPL) Partner to Deploy India’s First Sustainable Pure Air RMU Pilot Project

Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, has partnered with BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) to deploy India’s first RM AirSeT 12kV Indoor Ring Main Unit (RMU) pilot integrated with T300 Field Remote Terminal Unit (FRTU), enabling a more sustainable, connected, and future-ready power distribution network. By eliminating the use of SF6 gas and replacing it with pure air insulation, the deployment enables an estimated reduction of nearly 75 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions during the capex phase alone, marking a significant step toward cleaner and environmentally responsible grid infrastructure.

As Delhi’s peak power demand is projected to cross 9,000 MW amid rising urbanisation and growing cooling requirements, utilities are increasingly focusing on smarter and more sustainable grid infrastructure to ensure reliable power supply and support future energy needs. BRPL has been evaluating innovative medium-voltage switchgear technologies that can reduce environmental impact while improving operational reliability and network visibility. Schneider Electric deployed its SF6-free RM AirSeT 12kV solution, designed using pure air technology as an alternative to conventional gas-insulated switchgear. The deployment was further integrated with Schneider Electric’s T300 FRTU, enabling remote monitoring and control through BRPL’s SCADA network.

Speaking on the development, Mr. Deepak Sharma, Zone President – Greater India, MD & CEO, Schneider Electric India, said, “India’s power sector is entering a new phase of transformation where sustainability must become an integral part of every infrastructure decision. As the country works towards its energy transition goals, it is important that environmental considerations are embedded across the entire electricity value chain, including transmission and distribution networks. The shift towards cleaner technologies will be critical in building a power ecosystem that can support growing demand while advancing the nation’s decarbonization ambitions. This collaboration with BRPL reflects the kind of forward-looking action that will help shape the future of India’s energy infrastructure.”

Mr. Udai Singh - MD & CEO, Schneider Electric Infrastructure Ltd and VP, Power Systems, Schneider Electric India said, “As India advances its energy transition journey, the focus must extend beyond expanding generation capacity to building distribution networks that are sustainable, resilient, and digitally enabled. Utilities will play a pivotal role in enabling this transformation by advancing energy technologies that strengthen grid reliability, reduce environmental impact, and accelerate the adoption of SF6-free infrastructure. Our collaboration with BRPL reflects a shared commitment to accelerating grid modernization and creating future-ready infrastructure that can support India’s evolving energy needs.”

The project marks a significant milestone for India’s utility sector. For the first time in the country, RM AirSeT 12kV Indoor RMUs were sourced from Schneider Electric’s SBMV global plant, while the FRTU integration was carried out at the company’s MVI plant in India. This enabled greater customization and flexibility in line with BRPL’s operational requirements. To support the deployment, Schneider Electric facilitated specialized training for Indian teams at its AMT Hungary plant to strengthen expertise in RM AirSeT technology and FRTU integration.

BRPL official, said, “At BRPL, we are continuously exploring technologies that strengthen network reliability while supporting our sustainability commitments. The deployment of Schneider Electric’s RM AirSeT solution with integrated FRTU is an important step in that direction. This pilot has given us valuable insight into how SF6-free and connected technologies can support the future evolution of distribution networks in India.”

The RM AirSeT 12kV solution integrated with T300 FRTU delivers both sustainability and operational advantages. The technology also removes concerns around SF6 leakage during operations and eliminates the need for SF6 recovery and recycling at end of life, while offering a robust, reliable, and longer-lasting alternative to conventional RMUs.

This deployment reflects Schneider Electric’s continued commitment to supporting India’s grid modernization journey through sustainable and digitally enabled technologies. The BRPL pilot is expected to serve as a strong reference for future large-scale adoption of SF6-free medium-voltage solutions across the Indian utility market.

About Schneider Electric:

Schneider Electric is a global energy technology leader, driving efficiency and sustainability by electrifying, automating, and digitalizing industries, businesses, and homes. Its technologies enable buildings, data centres, factories, infrastructure, and grids to operate as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing performance, resilience, and sustainability. The portfolio includes intelligent devices, software-defined architectures, AI-powered systems, digital services, and expert advisory. With 160,000 employees and 1 million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is consistently ranked among the world’s most sustainable companies.

India’s Energy Leap: First Indigenous UHVAC Transformer Sets Global Benchmark

Image ~ Varun Karthikeyan@X

That’s a major milestone for India’s power sector. BHEL’s successful development and testing of the first indigenous 1200 kV Ultra High Voltage AC transformer (333 MVA rating) places India firmly in the league of nations capable of designing and manufacturing such cutting‑edge grid equipment.

The reason it’s called India’s first indigenous 1200 kV Ultra High Voltage AC transformer (333 MVA rating) is because until now such ultra‑high voltage transmission technology was either imported or developed abroad. BHEL’s achievement marks the first time this level of transformer has been designed, engineered, manufactured, and tested entirely within India.

Developed by BHEL’s engineers without foreign technical dependence, showcasing India’s self‑reliance in critical grid infrastructure, the 1200 kV benchmark is the highest AC voltage class in the world, surpassing the 765 kV systems widely used in the USA and the 1000–1100 kV systems in China.

The 333 MVA capacity rating indicates its ability to handle massive power flows, essential for bulk transmission across India’s expanding grid.Global first: While other countries operate UHVAC networks, India’s 1200 kV transformer is unique in being indigenously built and tested to full capacity.

While other countries operate UHVAC networks, India’s 1200 kV transformer is unique in being indigenously built and tested to full capacity. Moreover, it reduces reliance on imports, strengthens Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and positions India as a global leader in ultra‑high voltage transmission.

Why It Matters

• 1200 kV UHVAC: Highest voltage level globally for AC transmission, enabling bulk power transfer with minimal losses.
• 333 MVA rating: Massive transformer capacity, critical for India’s growing electricity demand.
• Indigenous development: Reduces reliance on imports, strengthens self‑reliance under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• BHEL’s role: Reinforces its position as India’s premier heavy electrical equipment manufacturer.

Strategic Impact

• Supports India’s national grid expansion, especially for renewable integration.
• Enhances energy security by ensuring critical equipment is domestically available.
• Positions India as a global leader in ultra‑high voltage transmission technology.

Comparative Snapshot: Global UHVAC Transformers

Country	Voltage Level	Key Manufacturer	Significance
India	1200 kV	BHEL	First indigenous UHVAC transformer
China	1000–1100 kV	State Grid Corp, TBEA	World’s largest UHVAC network
Europe	800–1000 kV	Siemens, ABB	Advanced interconnectors
USA	765 kV	GE, ABB	Backbone of long‑distance transmission

Tata Power–Databricks Alliance Powers Unified Data & AI Platform for Smarter Grids

Tata Power, one of India’s largest integrated power companies and a part of the Tata Group, today announced the enterprise-wide adoption of the Databricks platform to accelerate its data and AI transformation across all business clusters - driving enhanced operational efficiency, smarter decision-making, and scalable digital innovation.

As Tata Power advances its transformation in line with the energy transition - spanning renewable integration, smart grids, and an expanding B2C portfolio - the company is building a future-ready data and AI platform to power its next phase of growth. This unified platform will enable intelligent grid management, advanced power planning and optimisation, improved billing and collection efficiencies, accurate renewable forecasting, and operational excellence across solar manufacturing and rooftop businesses while delivering a seamless, single-view customer experience.

To support this vision, Tata Power is leveraging Databricks to establish a modern data foundation that goes beyond traditional warehouses and fragmented analytics systems. Designed to process data at scale and enable near real-time insights, it will also support advanced analytics, AI and agents - underpinned by the governance and security of the Databricks platform. With Databricks, Tata Power can unify data engineering, analytics, and AI on a single, scalable platform, integrating edge, operational, and enterprise data, eliminating silos, and accelerating insight-led decision-making across the organisation.

A key highlight of this transformation is the adoption of Genie, Databricks’ AI agent that lets any employee talk to their data and get trusted answers instantly. With its natural language interface, Genie redefines how organisations access enterprise data to quickly generate insights, dashboards, and analytics and make better decisions, faster.

Dr Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, Tata Power said, “This partnership with Databricks marks a key milestone in our journey to build a future-ready, intelligent energy ecosystem. By leveraging the power of data and AI , we are strengthening our digital foundation to drive smarter operations, accelerate renewable integration, and deliver more agile, customer-centric solutions while contributing to a resilient and sustainable power sector.”

Tata Power is reshaping customer energy behaviour across residential, commercial, and industrial segments - an essential lever in accelerating the energy transition. Customers are increasingly evolving into active energy participants, not just consumers, optimising their energy usage while contributing to greater grid flexibility, enhanced efficiency, and a more sustainable energy ecosystem.

“The energy sector is undergoing a profound transformation, and data and AI is at the heart of that change. Together, Databricks and Tata Power are building a unified and scalable platform that brings together data, apps, analytics, and AI agents - enabling faster innovation and more resilient, data-driven energy systems. This empowers Tata Power to optimize energy distribution, and drive smarter, more sustainable decision-making at scale,” said Nick Eayrs, Vice President of Field Engineering for Asia Pacific and Japan at Databricks.

“Tata Power’s decision to standardize on Databricks underscores the growing importance of data and AI in transforming the energy sector. As they build a unified, enterprise-wide platform, we are excited to support their journey toward smarter, more efficient operations. This also reflects the strong momentum we are seeing in India, where enterprises are rapidly scaling AI to drive innovation and measurable outcomes,” said Kamalkanth Tummala, Managing Director for India at Databricks.

Tata Power aims to consolidate enterprise data on the Databricks platform, creating a strong foundation for new initiatives and next-generation AI applications. In the medium term, this future-ready platform will enable self-service analytics, “talk-to-data” capabilities, and the democratisation of data and AI - driving faster, insight-led decision-making across the organisation.

To bring this vision to life, Tata Power will build a robust data infrastructure by leveraging the platform’s capabilities, anchored by its internal Centre of Excellence and strengthened through a strategic partner ecosystem.

Huawei Unveils IDS, An Intelligent Solution for Electric Power Industry's Most Pressing Challenges

The IDS is designed to optimize power distribution, enhance grid reliability, and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources.

Huawei has unveiled its Intelligent Distribution Solution (IDS), which was presented at the 26th World Energy Congress in Rotterdam. The IDS is designed to address some of the electric power industry's most pressing challenges, such as high line loss, unreliable service, and the complexities of managing new energy loads.

The solution aims to transform the power distribution network, often referred to as the 'last mile', which is crucial for delivering electric power directly to consumers' homes, businesses, and industries. Huawei's IDS leverages advanced technologies to optimize power distribution, enhance grid reliability, and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources.

Key features of Huawei's Intelligent Distribution Solution include:

• High Power Line Carrier Communication (HPLC) with 99.9% reliability, ensuring fast and reliable access for transformer district devices.
• A combination of fiber and wireless backhaul networks to provide full coverage in distribution network scenarios.
• An all-in-one edge computing unit (ECU) for lean management.
• An on-premise private cloud as the digital foundation, supporting IT and OT data integration across all departments.
• Reduced Line Loss: The IDS helps in managing line loss more effectively, which can lead to significant energy savings.
• Improved Power Supply Reliability: With advanced fault locating capabilities, the system reduces outage times and improves the overall reliability of the power supply.
• Seamless Integration of Renewable Energy: The solution supports the connection and management of distributed photovoltaic sites, enabling a higher consumption rate of clean energy.
• Enhanced Operational Efficiency: IDS enables remote automatic inspection and proactive work order management, improving the efficiency of operations and maintenance.
• Agile Development of New Services: The system allows for quick deployment of new services, reducing rollout time from months to weeks.

The IDS architecture, built on a unique "cloud-pipe-edge-device" framework, includes an on-premise private cloud, wired and wireless solutions for the backhaul network, an all-in-one edge computing unit (ECU), and next-generation high-speed power line carrier communication (HPLC) on the low-voltage side. This comprehensive approach has already shown its effectiveness with successful implementations in several provinces in China.

This comprehensive approach allows for real-time measurable observations that empower utility providers to optimize their operations, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction by identifying and repairing faults before power outages occur. The IDS has already shown its effectiveness with successful implementations in several provinces in China.

How does the IDS handle fault detection and management?

Huawei's Intelligent Distribution Solution (IDS) handles fault detection and management through a combination of advanced technologies and methodologies. Besides the fact that the IDS continuously monitors the power distribution network in real-time, using sensors and smart devices to collect data on the network's performance, below are key features that IDS has to handle fault detection:

• Predictive Analytics: By leveraging big data analytics and machine learning algorithms, the system can predict potential faults before they occur, allowing for preventive measures to be taken.
• Automated Fault Location: When a fault does occur, the system can quickly pinpoint its location. This is facilitated by the High-Speed Power Line Carrier Communication (HPLC) technology, which provides fast and reliable communication across the network.
• Once a fault is detected and located, the IDS can automatically reroute power or instruct maintenance crews to address the issue, minimizing downtime and service interruptions.
• Self-Healing Capabilities: The IDS is designed to have self-healing capabilities, where it can isolate the faulted section and reconfigure the network to restore power to unaffected areas.
• Comprehensive Reporting: The system generates detailed reports on faults, their causes, and the responses taken. This information is crucial for continuous improvement and learning.

These features ensure that the IDS not only detects and manages faults efficiently but also enhances the overall reliability and stability of the power distribution network. The goal is to reduce the frequency and impact of power outages, thereby improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Coming Up India's 1st Vehicle-to-Grid Station As BSES Rajdhani Partners Energy Software Co. Sheru

BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) has announced a partnership with energy software company Sheru to develop the country’s first vehicle-to-grid station. India’s decarbonisation efforts need innovative solutions, and ones such as this that help both the mobility and energy sectors go green are essential. The partnership would also help in easing pressure on power demand and in strengthening the power grid.

Sheru’s proprietary bidirectional battery-swapping station would provide swappable batteries for electric 2 wheelers, 3 wheelers, and rickshaws and help power their mobility. The same station would also support BRPL’s power requirement during periods of peak power need. The collaboration leverages the strengths of the parties and provides benefits to all sides.

“Sheru supplies cutting-edge solutions for the power sector. In the relationship with BSES, we are helping secure round-the-clock power from renewable energy sources. Standalone battery storage involves large CAPEX. Sheru’s novel solution is to use the idle battery space of EVs. This solves the CAPEX problem for BSES while providing income to EV and battery owners. Given the rate of growth of renewables in the country, our solution has received a warm welcome from power distribution companies. We are excited about the potential of this partnership with BRPL.” said Mr Shikhar Sharma, COO of Sheru.

"Utilizing the battery capacity of swapping stations as a distributed energy resource installed across the distribution area to support the grid during peak times and maximize charging of batteries through the integration of renewable energy or during off peak power periods will build a sustainable model for EV charging. We are happy to collaborate with Sheru and hope to extract valuable insights in supporting our grid ancillary functions,” added a BRPL representative.

About Sheru:

Sheru, an energy storage company based out of New Delhi (India). The company provides cloud storage solutions by aggregating idle battery capacity to create a virtual energy storage platform. Sheru is also the first company in the world to integrate V2G technology with battery swapping, bringing together two complementary systems and gaining synergies through it. Sheru was started by Ankit Mittal, Shikhar Sharma and Nakul Mehan, graduates of India’s premier engineering school of BITS Pilani. Having helped build robotics solutions in India’s first deep tech unicorn, GreyOrange, they later took the entrepreneurship plunge themselves. With a passion for sustainability and recognising an opportunity in India’s energy sector, they started Sheru in 2019.

IAN Leads $700k Round in Grid, a No-code Data and Operations Management Platform

• The Ranchi-based company intends to utilize the capital to expand its sales and marketing efforts across the target markets and to deepen the product suite
• Grid to focus on strengthening its leadership bench and on-board partners with operational expertise to expand its footprint in its key markets

Grid, a no-code data and operations management platform, has raised $700K in a funding round led by Indian Angel Network (IAN). The lead investors for the round are Mr. Jaideep Mehta, Mr. KRS Jamwal, Mr. Pramod Jajoo, and Mr. Shalil Gupta. The company intends to primarily utilize the freshly infused capital to expand its sales and marketing efforts across the target markets and strengthen its product suite. The Ranchi-based company will focus on bringing in the right talent as it scales up, both within the company as well as its partner ecosystem.

Grid Co-founders Shaurya Poddar, Shreyansh Jain, Udit Poddar and Aayush Agrawal

Incepted with a vision to bring the best data management practices from leading tech companies to traditional ones in 2017, Grid (Pragyaam Data Technologies) launched its first beta version and pivoted to a SaaS model in early 2021. Aayush Agrawal, Udit Poddar, Shreyansh Jain, and Shaurya Poddar started Grid as a data services company. However, they soon realized a need for a platform to assist mining, manufacturing, and public infrastructure companies in going digital using the mobile-first no-code apps.

The SaaS revolution has been influential in bringing a change for companies across the globe. However, most products are directed towards technology, sales, and service or accounting and finance teams and not towards core operations. Further, traditional asset-heavy industries have largely been under-served. With its offerings, the no-code B2B SaaS platform is driving efficiency in these industries that are at the centre of a sustainable future.

Interestingly, promoters of its several customers also invested in this round. It is a testimony of the value that Grid has delivered to their businesses and bodes well for the future.

Speaking about the funding, Udit Poddar, CEO & Co-Founder, Grid, said, “Most of these asset-heavy industries constantly generate operational data which can drive efficiency. The lack of easy-to-use and adapted tools has been a key deterrent for them to be digitized. With increasing commodity costs, companies are getting more data-centric to increase the efficiency of their operations. Starting as a no-code operations management platform, we envision Grid as the essential operational layer that brings together people and device data to create ESG-focused operations. We are delighted with this partnership and aim to use it to expand our operations further.”

Jaideep Mehta, Lead Investor at IAN said: "We are excited to partner with the Founders at Grid. They have demonstrated the ability to build a high performance business in under-served sectors such as mining and infrastructure, while at the same time developing easy-to-use technology that provides rapid ROI to their customers. With current success stories at both Indian and overseas customers, we are confident that Udit and team will build a truly global business in the years to come, and the IAN investment group will be partnering with them all the way".

Grid plans to launch the first marketplace for apps for operations management built in collaboration with industry experts in the second quarter. Operating across different markets, the company further wants to expand its international footprint in the FY2022-23 and the consecutive financial year. In 2020, the platform received a seed funding of $150,000 from Singapore-based VC Startup-O Ventures.

Indian Angel Network is India’s first and world’s largest business angel network with close to 500 members across the world, comprising the who’s who of successful entrepreneurs and dynamic CEOs. With investors from 12 countries, IAN’s presence spans 7 locations, which includes cities in India and the UK. The network is sector agnostic and has funded start-ups across 19 sectors in India and 7 other countries growing global footprint companies. With an excellent track record, IAN has been giving excellent cash exits year-on-year to its investor members, for the last 12 years. Some of its marquee investee companies include Druva, Spinny, Box8, Uniphore, WOW Momos, Consure, Fareye, NOCCARC, Propelld, Skit.ai amongst many others.

IAN Fund, an INR 375 crore VC fund is a uniquely differentiated seed/early stage Fund that aims to transform India’s entrepreneurial landscape. The fund invests in innovative companies in sectors including healthcare and medical devices, VR, AI, software as a service, marketplaces, fin-tech, big data, artificial intelligence, agritech, and hardware.

With this, IAN has created the single largest platform for seed and early-stage investing, enabling entrepreneurs to raise from Rs. 25 lakhs to Rs. 50 crores.