India Strengthens Power Sector Governance with Launch of Centre of Excellence for Regulatory Affairs at IIT Delhi

Union Minister of Power Shri Manohar Lal on Tuesday inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Regulatory Affairs in the Power Sector at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, marking a significant step towards strengthening regulatory capabilities amid India’s rapidly evolving electricity landscape.

The Centre has been jointly established by IIT Delhi, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), and Grid Controller of India Ltd. (Grid India). It aims to support informed and forward-looking regulation at a time when the power sector is witnessing rising electricity demand, large-scale renewable energy integration, expanding power markets, and increased adoption of digital technologies.

Envisioned as a national-level hub, the CoE will focus on regulatory research, capacity building, advisory support, and knowledge dissemination. By embedding the Centre within a premier academic institution and anchoring it through close collaboration between the national power regulator and the system operator, the initiative integrates policy, regulation, system operations, and academic research within a single institutional framework.

The Centre will work closely with CERC and Grid India to identify key regulatory and sectoral challenges, strengthen institutional capacity through human resource development, and promote effective knowledge management. It will undertake advanced research leveraging global academic and policy networks, while also providing advisory and consultancy support to regulators and other power sector stakeholders.

Speaking at the inauguration, Shri Manohar Lal said that as India transitions towards clean energy, competitive markets, and consumer-centric reforms, strong regulation supported by robust knowledge and research becomes essential. He noted that the Centre of Excellence at IIT Delhi will play a critical role in enabling informed regulatory decision-making.

The CoE’s work will directly support policy and regulatory processes by addressing the power sector trilemma of affordability, sustainability, and efficiency. It will equip regulators and policymakers with analytical tools and India-wide system models to assess regulatory proposals from the perspectives of consumer welfare, system reliability, and investment signals. At a broader level, the Centre will contribute to power sector reforms as solar and wind energy become mainstream, reshaping system planning, operations, and regulatory frameworks.

Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, said the Institute is pleased to partner with CERC and Grid India for the initiative. He added that IIT Delhi looks forward to generating knowledge and analysis that will help make India’s electricity sector sustainable, affordable, and future-ready, while also supporting capacity building within regulatory organisations.

CERC Chairman Shri Jishnu Barua emphasised that effective regulation must be underpinned by sound analysis, data, and long-term thinking. He said the Centre would help deepen regulatory research and strengthen evidence-based policymaking in the power sector.

Shri S C Saxena, Chairman and Managing Director of Grid Controller of India Ltd., noted that regulatory frameworks need to align closely with grid operation realities. He said the Centre would enable operational experience and system insights to directly inform regulatory research and market design.

Power Secretary Shri Pankaj Agarwal also welcomed the initiative, stating that the Centre would play a crucial role in the development of India’s power sector.

The CoE will focus on multidisciplinary research spanning power sector regulations, market design, grid operations, energy transition challenges, decarbonisation pathways, digitalisation, and emerging technologies such as energy storage, demand response, and green hydrogen. It will also conduct structured training programmes to build long-term regulatory capacity among power sector professionals.

The collaboration between CERC, Grid India, and IIT Delhi represents a unique institutional model combining regulatory leadership, operational expertise, and academic excellence, expected to contribute significantly to building robust and future-ready regulatory frameworks for India’s power sector.