Background
Under India’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), a leading Smart Metering Implementation Agency partnered with Fluentgrid Limited to deploy an end-to-end Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) ecosystem for two of India’s largest state power distribution utilities.
The initiative aimed to reduce distribution losses, improve billing accuracy, enhance operational efficiency, and promote consumer empowerment through smart prepaid metering, marking a major milestone in India’s grid modernization journey.
Business Challenges
The large-scale deployment presented multiple operational and technical challenges across diverse geographies and consumer segments:
- Legacy systems and manual processes causing inefficiencies in billing and revenue realization.
- Integration complexity with multiple existing enterprise applications, including billing, CRM, and feeder monitoring systems.
- Requirement for interoperability with IS 16444–compliant meters from multiple vendors.
- Need for scalable, cloud-hosted platforms capable of handling millions of endpoints and real-time data exchange.
- Compliance with RDSS data security and performance standards.
- High expectations for real-time visibility and analytics to support field operations and consumer engagement.
Solution Delivered
Fluentgrid implemented its cloud-ready AMI suite, combining the Unified Head End System (UHES), Meter Data Management System (MDMS), and Mobile Workforce Management System (MWM) to deliver a robust, integrated, and vendor-agnostic solution.
Deployment Overview
- Scale: More than 8+ million smart meters connected and managed through Fluentgrid’s HES and MDMS platforms.
- Hosting Environment: Deployed on AWS Cloud, ensuring scalability, reliability, and compliance.
- Meter Vendors: Supported multiple IS 16444–compliant smart meter brands over cellular and RF communication channels.
- Integration: Seamlessly integrated with existing Billing Systems, CRM, Feeder Monitoring Systems, and National Meter Data Platforms.
- Field Operations: Mobile workforce application integrated with the billing system, enabling efficient field execution and remote service management.
System Highlights
- Real-time data acquisition and command control through HES (cellular and RF).
- Automated validation, estimation, and editing (VEE) of metering data through MDMS.
- Scalable architecture supporting millions of endpoints under a unified data management layer.
- Integrated dashboards and analytics for monitoring communication, consumption, and events.
Impact
The implementation delivered significant operational and consumer benefits, demonstrating the scalability and robustness of Fluentgrid’s AMI technologies:
- 8+ million smart metering points managed across multiple regions.
- Improved billing accuracy and reduced revenue leakage through automated VEE processes.
- Faster meter-to-bill cycles and efficient exception handling.
- Enhanced operational visibility for proactive maintenance and performance monitoring.
- Consumer empowerment through prepaid options, usage transparency, and self-service capabilities.
- Alignment with RDSS objectives, supporting digitalization, efficiency, and reliability in power distribution.
Conclusion
By delivering a scalable, secure, and interoperable Advanced Metering Infrastructure, Fluentgrid has empowered utilities across India to modernize their power distribution operations.
The deployment stands as a benchmark for large-scale smart metering rollouts, demonstrating how Fluentgrid’s HES, MDMS, and workforce solutions enable real-time data visibility, operational intelligence, and consumer-centric transformation — fully aligned with India’s RDSS vision.
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