India has installed more than 5.28 crore smart meters nationwide under various government schemes as of December 31, 2025, with 3.90 crore installations completed under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), according to official data released by the Ministry of Power.
Launched in July 2021, the RDSS aims to enhance the operational efficiency and financial sustainability of power distribution companies (DISCOMs) across States and Union Territories (UTs), while ensuring reliable and quality electricity supply. A central component of the scheme is the large-scale deployment of smart meters for consumers, distribution transformers, and feeders.
Under the RDSS framework, smart metering projects have been sanctioned for 45 distribution utilities across 28 States and UTs, covering 19.79 crore consumers, 52.53 lakh distribution transformers, and 2.05 lakh feeders. As of December-end 2025, 3.90 crore smart meters have been installed under RDSS, with additional installations undertaken by States through their own initiatives and other schemes, bringing the total nationwide count to 5.28 crore.
The government said prepaid smart metering has delivered significant benefits for both utilities and consumers. For DISCOMs, prepaid meters enable advance revenue collection, improved billing efficiency, lower receivables, reduced working capital requirements, and stronger cash flows. These reforms, combined with broader distribution sector measures, have helped reduce Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses from 21.91% in FY2021 to 15.04% in FY2025.
For consumers, smart meters offer near real-time monitoring of electricity consumption through mobile applications, allowing better budgeting, usage tracking, easy recharge, low-balance alerts, and access to historical consumption data. A consumer feedback survey conducted by nodal agencies REC Ltd and PFC Ltd showed that among 1.24 lakh app users, over 54,000 were aware of real-time consumption tracking, while more than 72,000 used the recharge and bill payment features.
To strengthen data security and cyber resilience, the government has incorporated strict cyber security provisions into the Standard Bidding Document (SBD) for RDSS smart metering projects, including communication infrastructure security, cloud security standards, incident management protocols, and compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act. Additionally, CSIRT-Power has been established to support utilities in cyber incident handling and enhance sector-wide cyber preparedness.
The government and distribution utilities are also rolling out extensive consumer awareness programmes to build trust in prepaid smart metering. These include pamphlet distribution, public banners, community engagement campaigns, local-language audio announcements, awareness workshops, and social media outreach initiatives.
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