New Delhi, Jan 21 (KNN) Union Power Minister Manohar Lal on Wednesday inaugurated the Electricity Distribution Industry Conference EDICON 2026, calling for financially strong and operationally efficient distribution companies (DISCOMs) to meet the growing demands of India’s expanding economy and improve consumer services.

Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day conference, the Minister said the power sector is set to grow significantly in the coming years, and a robust distribution segment will be critical to sustaining economic growth. 

He emphasised that financially empowered DISCOMs are essential for delivering reliable power supply, improving service quality and becoming more responsive to consumer needs.

The conference is being organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Power in collaboration with the All India Discoms Association (AIDA). 

During his address, the Minister urged State Electricity Regulatory Commissions to move towards cost-reflective tariffs while ensuring targeted subsidies for vulnerable consumers, in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act.

Manohar Lal also unveiled the first edition of AIDA’s annual report titled “India Discoms: 2025”, which provides an overview of the distribution sector, ongoing efforts by DISCOMs to improve reliability and operational efficiency, key challenges facing the sector, and initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Power and the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. 

The report also covers major policy measures such as the Draft Electricity Amendment Bill and the India Energy Stack, and includes contributions from sector experts along with a summary of AIDA’s activities during 2025.

At the event, the Minister conferred Gold and Silver awards on 12 DISCOMs across six categories. Award-winning DISCOMs included utilities from Gujarat, Odisha, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

The event was attended by senior officials and industry stakeholders from the power sector.