Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Bharti Airtel, has announced that it will power over 20 million smart meters for Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL). Airtel, through its nationwide communications network, will deliver secure connectivity for all AESL’s smart meter deployments. In addition, Airtel’s smart metering solutions which are powered by NB-IoT, 4G and 2G, will help AESL to ensure real-time connectivity and uninterrupted transfer of critical data between smart meters and headend applications.
The solution will also come powered with Airtel’s IoT platform Airtel IoT Hub, which enables smart meter tracking and monitoring with advanced analytics and diagnostic capabilities in addition to real-time insights and services that empower customers with enhanced control over their energy consumption. AESL has an order book of more than 20 million smart meters from the power utilities of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand.
“India’s smart metering programme is one of the most significant policy reform measures undertaken by the government,” said Ganesh Lakshminarayanan, the chief executive of Airtel Business India. “These meters are critical building blocks for smart grids and fundamental enablers for the digitalisation of the power sector. Airtel expects its NB-IoT technology to play a significant role in the utilities space to connect and manage smart meters at scale with enhanced coverage, high reliability and security.”
Kandarp Patel, the chief executive of Adani Energy Solutions, added: “This combination will enable us to seamlessly deploy our current order book of over 20 million smart meters across India, empowering millions of consumers with real-time consumption data and control, while simultaneously driving down inefficiencies in the distribution network.”