Union Minister of Power, Shri Manohar Lal, on Monday inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Regulatory Affairs in the Power Sector at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, marking a significant milestone in strengthening India’s regulatory ecosystem amid a rapidly transforming power sector.
Strengthening Regulatory Capacity for a Changing Power Sector
The Centre has been jointly established by IIT Delhi, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), and the Grid Controller of India Ltd. (Grid India). It aims to enhance India’s regulatory preparedness in the face of rising electricity demand, large-scale renewable energy integration, expanding power markets, and increasing digitalisation.
Envisioned as a national-level hub, the CoE will focus on regulatory research, capacity building, advisory support, and knowledge dissemination. By anchoring the Centre within a premier academic institution and aligning it closely with the national power regulator and system operator, the initiative integrates policy, regulation, grid operations, and academic research under one institutional framework.
Focus on Research, Training and Advisory Support
The Centre will collaborate closely with CERC and Grid India to identify key sectoral and regulatory challenges. Its mandate includes supporting institutional capacity building, strengthening human resources, and promoting effective knowledge management. The CoE will undertake advanced research supported by global academic and policy networks, while also offering advisory and consultancy services to regulators and power sector stakeholders.
Inaugurating the Centre, Shri Manohar Lal, Union Minister of Power said, “As India moves towards clean energy, competitive markets and consumer-centric reforms, strong regulation backed by knowledge and research becomes essential. This Centre of Excellence at IIT Delhi will play a key role in supporting informed and forward-looking regulation.”
Supporting Evidence-Based Policymaking
The CoE’s work will directly support policy and regulatory decision-making by addressing the power sector trilemma of affordability, sustainability, and efficiency. It will equip regulators and policymakers with robust analytical tools and system models to assess regulatory proposals from the perspective of consumer welfare, system reliability, and investment signals.
Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, said the institute is pleased to partner with CERC and Grid India to create knowledge that will make India’s electricity sector sustainable, affordable, and future-ready.
Shri Jishnu Barua, Chairman, CERC, emphasised that sound regulation must be grounded in data-driven analysis and long-term thinking, noting that the Centre would strengthen evidence-based policymaking.
Shri S.C. Saxena, Chairman & Managing Director, Grid India, highlighted that aligning regulatory frameworks with grid operation realities is essential, and the Centre would help bridge this gap.
Power Secretary Shri Pankaj Agarwal lauded the initiative, stating that the Centre would play a crucial role in the development of India’s power sector.
The CoE will focus on multidisciplinary research covering power sector regulations, market design, grid operations, decarbonisation pathways, digitalisation, and emerging technologies such as energy storage, demand response, and green hydrogen, contributing to future-ready regulatory frameworks for India’s power sector.
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