IIT Delhi, CERC, and Grid India Collaborate to Establish Centre of Excellence for Power Sector Regulatory Affairs
On May 28, 2025, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, and the Grid Controller of India (Grid-India) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at IIT Delhi. The CoE will concentrate on areas such as power sector regulation, policy development, power markets, and grid operations.
Purpose of the Centre of Excellence
The initiative aims to function as a knowledge hub, providing expertise to regulatory commissions, power system operators, utilities, and other organizations to address specific operational needs within the power sector.
Signatories of the MoU
The MoU was signed by Professor Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi; Sh. Harpreet Singh Pruthi, Secretary of CERC; and Sh. Paresh R. Ranpara, Director of Human Resources at Grid-India. The intention behind the CoE is to promote informed decision-making in regulatory practices through collaborative research and analysis.
Goals of the CoE
It seeks to link industry with academia, with the goal of developing innovative solutions to both current and anticipated challenges in power system operations. Additionally, the CoE plans to facilitate the creation of academic programs that support effective regulation and advanced regulatory techniques.
Comments from Notable Figures
Several notable figures commented on the collaboration. Professor Rangan Banerjee indicated that the CoE has the potential to significantly impact the power sector through collaborative research efforts. Shri Jishnu Barua, Chairman of CERC, noted that the Centre is expected to enhance the expertise of professionals in the sector and strengthen the connection between academic theory and practical application. Shri Samir Chandra Saxena, Chairman and Managing Director of Grid-India, highlighted that this collaboration represents a crucial advancement in building regulatory capacity and fostering research and innovation for a resilient power ecosystem.
Main Functional Areas of the CoE
The CoE will address five primary functional areas:
- Conducting academic and technical research to identify gaps and challenges in regulations, markets, and grid operations during India’s energy transition phase.
- Performing system studies to inform decision-making related to grid practices and associated regulations.
- Developing capacity-building initiatives to cultivate a specialized workforce among regulators, system operators, and other stakeholders, which will include short-term training in various technical areas.
- Establishing a knowledge hub and information resource to tackle current and future regulatory and operational challenges.
- Serving as a bridge for academic offerings from IIT Delhi related to power sector education.
Expected Outcomes
This collaboration is expected to significantly enhance knowledge exchange and innovation in power sector regulations and operations.
(Source: IIT Delhi News)
