Airtel is to power more than 20 million smart meters for Indian utility Adani Energy.

Telco Airtel, through its nationwide communications network, aims to deliver reliable and secure connectivity for all Adani’s smart meter deployments. In addition, Airtel’s smart metering technology, which is powered by NB-IoT, 4G and 2G, should help Adani ensure real-time connectivity and uninterrupted transfer of critical data between smart meters and headend applications.

This will also come powered with Airtel’s IoT platform – Airtel IoT Hub – which enables smart meter tracking and monitoring with analytics and diagnostic capabilities in addition to real-time insights and services that empower users with enhanced control over their energy consumption.

Adani Energy has an order book of over 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, Airtel Business CEO. “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. We look forward to a long and fruitful association with the Adani Group, supporting them in their endeavours to digitise utilities.”

Kandarp Patel, Adani Energy (www.adanienergysolutions.com) CEO, added: “India’s ambitious revamped distribution sector scheme is transforming the way we deliver power, and Adani is proud to be at the forefront of this revolution. Our partnership with Airtel marks a critical step towards realising the vision of a smarter, more efficient grid for all. This strategic tie-up leverages the best of both worlds: our deep domain expertise in the T&D sector and Airtel’s robust nationwide network and comprehensive suite of IoT offerings, including NB-IoT and 4G LTE. This powerful 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.”

Headquartered in India, Airtel (www.airtel.com) is a communications provider with over 500 million customers in 17 countries across south Asia and Africa.