India signed BRICS MoU with Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa
The Ministry of Power have been actively engaging with foreign governments and industry representatives to explore international partnership in power generation, transmission, and distribution, the Minister of State for Power, Shripad Yesso Naik, said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on 15 Dec.
Further, multilateral engagements have been undertaken under the umbrellas of G20, BRICS, Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), International Solar Alliance (ISA), etc.
In addition, the Ministry continues to advance regional power sector cooperation through platforms such as SCO, SASEC, SAARC, BIMSTEC, ASEAN, and the One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) initiative.
Moreover, the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under the purview of this Ministry also under take commercial agreements with foreign entities as per their business requirements.
Comprehensive reforms have been undertaken to modernize the power sector, improve service delivery, strengthen governance across the power sector, achieving technological and operational improvements and strengthening digitalization, green energy integration and innovation.
The Minister said these projects include:
Electricity (Late Payment Surcharge and Related Matters) Rules have been notified to ensure timely payment by the utilities, and a structured framework for liquidation of past dues.
ii Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy Through Green Energy Open Access) Rules provide Green Open Access for consumers with load above 100 kW, with time-bound approvals, and uniform and reasonable charges.
iii Frameworks for Renewable Consumption Obligations, waiver of Inter-state transmission charges, energy storage deployment has been notified to facilitate renewable integration.
iv Framed Rules and Guidelines for Resource Adequacy Framework to promote energy security through a time-bound and structured approach for future demand assessment and advance capacity procurement.
v Monthly automatic pass-through of Fuel & Power Purchase Adjustment Surcharge (FPPAS) is enabled for timely recovery of power purchase costs.
vi Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 notified to ensure 24×7 supply, reliable services, and consumer-centric protection measures.
vii STELLAR Model (State-of-the-art Totally Indigenously Developed Resource Adequacy Model) has been launched by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in April 2025, for enabling states to undertake integrated planning of generation, transmission, storage, and demand response, thereby improving long-term resource adequacy and grid reliability.
viii Under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) infrastructure works including smart metering works worth Rs.283,525 crore with Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs.121,637 crore from Government of India have been sanctioned.
ix Installation of Smart Meters is promoted through the RDSS scheme, which enables automated energy accounting, real-time monitoring, improved billing accuracy, and reduced commercial losses.
x Use and development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) based solutions is encouraged and supported under the scheme of RDSS for demand forecasting, predictive maintenance, asset management, and consumer analytics etc. through initiatives like Powerthon.
xi Energy Storage Systems (ESS) have been defined under Rule 18 of Electricity (Amendment) Rules 2022 notified in December 2022. ESS can now be owned, developed, leased or operated by consumers along with other power sector entities.
xii Inter-State Transmission (ISTS) charges for co-located BESS projects commissioned by June 2028 have been waived for 12 years. For non-co-located BESS, 100% waiver for projects which are commissioned by June 2025, and thereafter graded reduction in waiver at the rate of 25% annually.
xiii Viability Gap funding (VGF) scheme for the development of ~43.2 GWh of BESS capacity in the country has been launched.
xiv Under Green Energy Corridor scheme, 12 number of Renewable Energy Management Centre (REMCs) and one EMC at South Andaman were established in different parts of the country mainly to forecast, schedule and monitor the wind and solar Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) resources. These REMCs are co-located with the existing RLDCs/SLDCs.
xv Guidelines have been issued for installation of Automatic Weather Station (AWS) in RE Plants for using the recorded weather data for data assimilation and validation for further improving the weather forecast.
xvi Central Financial Assistance (CFA) is provided to the States for setting up Transmission infrastructure for RE integration within their State under the Green Energy Corridor Scheme.
xvii Flexibilization of Thermal generation is mandated to address the variability of RE generation.
xviii CEA (Technical Standards for Connectivity to the Grid) Regulations lay down the minimum technical requirements for the RE generating plants to ensure the safe, secure and reliable operation of the grid.
xix Indian Electricity Grid Code mandates that RE plants participate in the primary and secondary frequency control in case of contingencies.
List of MoUs/ Agreements of MoP and its PSUs with foreign entities
1 BRICS Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Efficiency and Energy Savings, among Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
2 South Asia Forum for Infrastructure Regulation (SAFIR) Sectt.: Central Electricity Regulatory Commission with Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA)
3 Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Power, the Republic of India and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities, the Kingdom of Denmark on (India-Denmark) Energy Cooperation
4 The Government of India and Government of Nepal for electric interconnections
5 The Government of the Republic of India and the Royal Government of Bhutan for cooperation in energy efficiency
6 Memorandum of understanding between the Government of India and the Government of of Mauritius on Cooperation in the field of Power sector
7 Government of India and Government of of Sri Lanka
8 The Government of India and the Government of Bangladesh
9 The Government of India and the Government of Myanmar
10 Ministry of Power of India and Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates
11 The Government of India and the Government of Saudi Arabia
12 Central Electricity Authority and the US -Department of Energy
13 NHPC Limited with the Investment Board, Government of Nepal (IBN)
14 NHPC Limited with Vidhyut Utpadan Company Limited (VUCL), Nepal
15 NHPC Limited with Rastriya Prasaran Grid Company Limited (RPGCL), Nepal
16 NHPC Limited with Ocean Sun AS, Norway
17 NHPC Limited with GGGI (Global Green Growth Institute)
18 NTPC Limited with Nepal Electricity Authority
19 NTPC Limited with ESKOM Holdings Soc Ltd of South Africa
20 NTPC Limited with MASEN, Morocco
21 NTPC Limited with Fortescue Future Industries, Australia
22 NTPC Limited with Saudi Electricity Company, Saudi Arabia
23 NTPC Limited with ASEAN Centre for Energy
24 NTPC Green Energy Ltd and ENEOS Corporation, Japan.
25 NTPC Ltd and Sustainable Energy for All, Austria
26 NVVN and Nepal Electricity Authority
27 Tripartite Agreement among NEA, NVVN and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB)
28 NEEPCO Ltd with Norwegian Geotechnical Institute AS (NGI), Norway
29 Central Electricity Regulatory Commission with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, USA
30 Bureau of Energy Efficiency with Russian Energy Agency, Ministry of Energy of Russian Federation
31 Power Grid Corporation of India with Nepal Electricity Authority
32 Power Grid Corporation of India with DEPP, Ministry of Electric Power, Myanmar
33 Power Grid Corporation of India with POWER Engineers Inc, USA
34 Power Grid Corporation of India with Government of Sri Lanka
35 Grid Controller of India Limited and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA (LBNL)
36 SJVN Limited with Govt. of Nepal represented by Ministry of Water Resources
37 SJVN Limited with the Investment Board, Government of Nepal (IBN)
38 SJVN Limited with Nepal Electricity Authority. Fiinews.com
