Mahindra Satyam, Siemens & Patni are in the race
New Delhi: IT majors Mahindra Satyam, Siemens and Patni Computers are in the race for the government's automation programme aimed at reforming the ailing power distribution sector in the country. The initiative under Restructured-Accelerated Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) would result in the implementation of IT projects worth Rs. 10,000 crore over the next three years, reports the Economic Times.
The move seeks to generate baseline data to detect points of power losses (through theft and technical losses) more accurately so that corrective action could be taken. The government wants to put in place an IT backbone that supports reduction of aggregate technical and commercial loss (AT&C) in distribution to 15 percent in project areas from the existing 30 percent.
"We have received bids from over 50 IT companies for empanelment as IT implementing agencies (ITIA) under R-APDRP. We expect to finalise these bids by next week," an official of Power Finance Corporation (PFC) told Economic Times requesting anonymity. The Power Ministry has appointed PFC as the nodal agency for running R-APDRP.
Empanelment as IT implementing agencies would enable companies to qualify for placing their bids for automation projects floated by over 50 state power utilities. "PFC has already empanelled over 90 IT implementing agencies (ABB, Alcatel, Areva, Indra Sistemas, Reliance Infrastructure, TCS, Sterlite Technologies) in the first round of bidding early this year. The fresh empanelment is second round of the exercise to give opportunity to a wide array of IT companies to participate in the government programme," said an official of the Power Ministry who also did not wish to be identified.
The other companies that have placed their bids for getting selected as ITIA include Tata Teleservices, TCIL, Reliance Communications, HP and a few other small IT players. The ITIA would supply, install and commission one integrated solution in the areas of their operation which helps the utilities improve performance. The outlay of the R-APDRP flagship programme is Rs. 51,577 crore during Eleventh Plan.
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