The government’s ambitious plan to install smart meters across the country has faced a significant setback. Initially, the objective was to install smart meters in 25 crore households by March 2025. However, as of now, only 2.8 crore meters have been installed, far below the target. The goal of reducing electricity theft and improving supply efficiency remains unmet. The project was supposed to help decrease losses for power distribution companies and enhance customer service. Despite allocating a massive budget of ₹30,000 crore, with ₹25,000 crore already spent, progress has been sluggish, with only 25% of the work completed.

A key concern is that, despite the substantial investment, the financial losses of electricity distribution companies continue to rise. In 2021, the losses amounted to ₹5.45 lakh crore, and by 2024, this figure has escalated to ₹6.92 lakh crore. This has prompted parliamentary committees to question the reasons behind the project’s poor performance and its failure to meet the set targets, despite the huge expenditure.