India now operates one of the world’s three largest electricity systems. Nearly half of installed capacity already comes from non-fossil sources, yet coal continues to dominate day-to-day generation. Meanwhile, per-capita consumption remains far below the global average, keeping the pressure on policymakers to deliver power that is both affordable and reliable. A sizeable chunk of electricity still disappears between the power plant and the consumer. These losses drain the money that distribution companies could be spending on stronger grids and smart meters. At the same time, the Government’s determination to keep household and agricultural tariffs affordable leaves most state-owned DISCOMs earning less than the cost of supply, so they depend on subsidies to bridge the gap and must postpone many capital upgrades. Compounding the challenge, India is pursuing fuel self-sufficiency by ramping domestic coal production, building record stockpiles at power plants and steadily trimming thermal-coal imports. All these factors make every incremental improvement in generation efficiency and grid performance even more valuable.