Manohar Lal Inaugurates Centre of Excellence for Power Sector Regulation at IIT Delhi

The work of the Centre will directly support policy and regulatory decision-making by addressing the power sector trilemma of affordability, sustainability and efficiency.

In a major step toward strengthening India’s electricity regulatory ecosystem, Union Minister of Power Shri Manohar Lal today inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Regulatory Affairs in the Power Sector at IIT Delhi.

The Centre has been jointly established by IIT Delhi, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and the Grid Controller of India Ltd. (Grid India), creating a first-of-its-kind institutional platform that brings together policy, regulation, system operations and academic research under one roof.

Strengthening Regulation for a Transforming Power Sector

The new CoE comes at a critical juncture for India’s power sector, which is witnessing rapid growth in electricity demand, large-scale renewable energy integration, expanding power markets, and increasing digitalisation of grid operations.

Conceived as a national-level hub, the Centre will focus on:

• Advanced regulatory research

• Capacity building and training for regulators and sector professionals

• Advisory and consultancy support to power sector institutions

• Knowledge creation and policy-relevant analysis

By anchoring the Centre within a premier academic institution and ensuring close collaboration with the national power regulator and system operator, the initiative aims to build future-ready regulatory capacity aligned with India’s clean energy and market reform ambitions.

Minister’s Vision: Knowledge-Driven Regulation

Inaugurating the Centre at IIT Delhi, 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 enabling informed, forward-looking and evidence-based regulation for the power sector.”

Addressing the Power Sector Trilemma

The work of the Centre will directly support policy and regulatory decision-making by addressing the power sector trilemma of affordability, sustainability and efficiency.

Key focus areas include:

• Power sector regulations and market design

• Grid operations and system reliability

• Energy transition and decarbonisation pathways

• Digitalisation and data-driven regulation

• Emerging technologies such as energy storage, demand response and green hydrogen

The Centre will develop India-wide system models and analytical tools to help regulators and policymakers assess regulatory proposals through the lens of consumer welfare, investment signals and long-term system resilience.

Voices from the Partner Institutions

Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, said:

“We are delighted to partner with CERC and Grid India to establish this Centre. IIT Delhi is committed to creating new knowledge and rigorous analysis that will help make India’s electricity sector sustainable, affordable and future-ready, while also strengthening regulatory institutions and professional capacity.”

Shri Jishnu Barua, Chairman, CERC, noted:

“Good regulation must be supported by sound analysis, credible data and long-term thinking. This Centre will deepen regulatory research and strengthen evidence-based policymaking in the power sector.”

Shri S.C. Saxena, Chairman & Managing Director, Grid Controller of India Ltd., added:

“Regulatory frameworks must be aligned with the realities of grid operation. Through this Centre, operational experience and system insights will directly inform regulatory research and market design.”

Power Secretary Shri Pankaj Agarwal congratulated IIT Delhi, CERC and Grid India, stating that the Centre would play a crucial role in shaping the future development of India’s power sector.

A Call to Action for Stakeholders

The Centre of Excellence invites regulatory commissions, distribution utilities, system operators, policymakers, researchers and industry stakeholders to actively engage with its research, training and advisory programmes. As renewable energy becomes mainstream and power systems grow more complex, the CoE is positioned to become a key national resource for modern, adaptive and consumer-focused regulation.

The partnership between CERC, Grid India and IIT Delhi represents a new institutional model for governance in the power sector—one that integrates regulatory leadership, operational expertise and academic excellence to support India’s energy transition.