Genus Power Smart Meter Research: Mapping a Government Rollout Barrier

Shovan took on research into Genus Power, a smart meter manufacturer, at a point when the government had mandated installation of 25 crore smart meters across India. Only approximately 1.5 lakh had been installed, representing under 5% of the target. The gap between mandate and execution was the research question.

He went to the field. He spoke directly with employees at state-owned DISCOMs in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, asking them what was preventing installation at scale. He also conducted citizen-level surveys to understand demand-side resistance.

Two structural barriers emerged. On the supply side, state DISCOMs were running legacy IT systems that could not integrate with Genus's smart meter infrastructure. Upgrading those systems required capital and organizational capacity that many DISCOMs, already operating at significant losses due to electricity distribution inefficiencies, did not have. On the demand side, citizens were not adequately informed about how smart meters worked, and a widespread belief that smart meters would increase electricity bills was creating active resistance to installation.

Shovan documented both barriers and brought them into the ongoing investment thesis for Genus Power. The research was still in progress at the time, with the conclusion that the installation barriers were structural and unlikely to resolve quickly. The work informed the committee's decision to hold off on a recommendation until the thesis could be fully tested.