India aims to end foreign reliance for power

Picture Credit: Nikkei Asia

India is accelerating efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology for critical electricity infrastructure, with plans to develop fully domestic control systems for the national power grid by 2029. The initiative is being led by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) as part of a broader push to strengthen energy security and build greater technological self-reliance.

At the centre of the plan is SCADA — Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition — the hardware and software system that allows electricity utilities to monitor and control power infrastructure in real time. SCADA systems collect data from power assets and help operators identify problems, manage electricity flows and respond quickly to disruptions. India wants to develop a completely homegrown version covering both the software and hardware components.

The push reflects growing concerns over supply-chain disruptions, cybersecurity and geopolitical tensions. India began strengthening its domestic capabilities in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains. The CEA now argues that continued reliance on foreign technology could leave critical energy infrastructure exposed to technology restrictions or disruptions during periods of international tension.

India already requires SCADA systems to contain at least 50% locally manufactured content, but the CEA says the actual contribution of domestic hardware and software is only around 20%. The new roadmap aims to close that gap by expanding domestic manufacturing capabilities and creating a stronger ecosystem around grid-control technology.

The government is also proposing testing and certification agencies as well as financial support for companies developing SCADA systems. The broader objective is not simply to manufacture equipment locally, but to establish an independent technology ecosystem that can be standardized, upgraded and secured domestically. As India expands its power infrastructure to support rapid industrialization, data centres and renewable energy, building greater control over the technology running its electricity network is becoming an increasingly important part of its energy strategy.