India’s power distribution companies need to move faster towards intelligent, reliable and consumer-focused networks, with technology adoption paired with greater consumer engagement, Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Sunday.Addressing a two-day National Conference on the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the power distribution sector at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Khattar urged DISCOMs to work closely with ecosystem stakeholders to accelerate the transition to smart distribution systems, according to ANI.The minister said active engagement with consumers was critical, stressing the need to address misinformation around new technologies and secure public support for their adoption. He also lauded the participation of industry, states, innovators, academia and technology partners at the conference.Khattar appreciated the AI and ML-based solutions showcased by distribution companies, advanced metering infrastructure service providers, technology solution providers and home automation solution providers, noting their potential to transform both consumer experience and operational efficiency.He highlighted applications such as smart meter analytics, digital twins, predictive maintenance, theft detection intelligence, appliance-level consumer insights, automated outage prediction and GenAI-based decision support as key enablers of intelligent, self-optimising and consumer-centric distribution networks.According to the minister, AI and ML solutions can restore consumer trust, help households manage consumption, prevent outages, protect honest consumers from theft-related costs, and enable DISCOMs to reduce losses, optimise power purchase costs and reinvest in infrastructure—positioning India as a global leader in digital electricity reform and future-ready grid governance.Speaking at the conference, Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal said the ministry remained committed to deepening digitalisation across DISCOMs and promoting AI and ML adoption that delivers measurable operational and financial gains.Agarwal stressed the importance of capacity building, secure data-sharing frameworks and interoperability to ensure solutions demonstrated at the conference can be scaled nationwide to support India’s energy transition.