The Power Foundation of India (PFI) organised its 1st Regulatory Chintan Shivir (Northern Region) on 10–11 August 2026 at IIT Delhi. The two-day programme brought together senior officials and stakeholders from Electricity Regulatory Commissions, DISCOMs, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), REC, NDMC and the legal fraternity for detailed deliberations on key regulatory and distribution-sector issues.

The Chintan Shivir was inaugurated with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Shri Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority; Dr. R. K. Tyagi, Director General, Power Foundation of India; Dr. Rajesh Sharma, Chairperson, Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC); Shri Raj Kumar Chaudhary, Chairperson, Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for the UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh; and Shri Himanshu Khurana, Secretary, RERC.

The first day of the Chintan Shivir focused on state-specific issues and emerging developments in the distribution sector. Discussions covered the creation of new Agricultural DISCOMs, including the regulatory and institutional considerations involved; De-regulation of consumers with loads of 1 MW and above; Parallel licensing and associated regulatory considerations; and the evolving landscape around Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in the power distribution sector.

The second day featured technical sessions on key areas of regulatory and distribution-sector reform. The first session focused on Prepaid and Smart Metering, examining developments in the metering ecosystem, implementation experiences, opportunities and challenges associated with the transition towards advanced metering systems. The session was led by Shri Rajesh Bansal, Chairman, CBIP Metering Committee, who shared perspectives on the evolving metering landscape.

The next session focused on Time-of-Day (ToD) Tariffs, with discussions on their role in improving demand management, encouraging efficient electricity consumption and making tariffs more responsive to changing consumption patterns. Shri Himanshu Chawla, Head – Regulatory, PFI, presented insights on ToD tariffs and the opportunities for their effective implementation.

The third technical session focused on Regulatory Assets and their Liquidation, along with approaches to reducing litigation in the power sector. The discussions examined the challenges associated with regulatory assets, measures for their timely liquidation and the importance of strengthening regulatory certainty. Sr. Advocate S. Venkatesh, Founding Partner, SKV Law Offices, shared his perspectives on the legal and regulatory dimensions of these issues and approaches to reducing regulatory disputes and litigation.

The penultimate session provided an interactive platform for participants to share experiences, organisational practices and case studies from their respective jurisdictions and institutions. The exchange enabled participants to discuss practical challenges, regulatory approaches and best practices, facilitating peer learning across states and organisations.

The Chintan Shivir concluded with an emphasis on the importance of continued engagement and knowledge exchange among regulators, utilities, policymakers and other stakeholders. The deliberations highlighted the need for collaborative approaches to addressing emerging regulatory and distribution-sector challenges and strengthening the efficiency, responsiveness and consumer-centricity of the electricity sector.

Certificates of Participation were presented to the participants by Shri Anshuman Srivastava, Executive Director, Power Foundation of India.

The 1st Regulatory Chintan Shivir marks an important step towards creating a sustained platform for dialogue, experience sharing and collaborative problem-solving on regulatory issues affecting the power sector.