New Delhi: Key figures in India’s energy sector convened at a recent National Sustainable Energy Conclave 2024 to address the nation’s energy future and the challenges posed by cyber threats. M.A.K.P. Singh, Member (Hydro) & CISO MoP, Central Electricity Authority, announced forthcoming regulations on quantum computing, especially the importance of preparing for technological advancements. He stated, “We will be shortly coming out with a regulation regarding quantum computing,” adding, “We will train 1000 CISOs on the different facets of quantum computing.”
In the first session on “Securing India’s Power & Energy Future through Policies and Sustainable Technology,” Rajnath Ram, Adviser (Power & Energy/Rajasthan), NITI Aayog, said that energy is vital for economic growth and called for secure transitions to energy systems and strict cybersecurity measures throughout the energy sector.
MVR Kumar, Head of India Business Group at YASH Technologies, talked about power sector challenges, focusing on handling risks during organisational changes in PSU power entities. Parag Sharma, CEO & Founder of O2 Power, talked about India’s need to boost renewable energy, mentioning obstacles like grid connectivity and bureaucratic approval processes.
The conference included talks on future sustainable grids by Udai Singh, CEO & MD of Schneider Electric Infrastructure Limited, insights on hacking threats by Nikhil Mahadeshwar Founder of Cyber Secured India, and industry perspective on secure energy innovation by Hiral Sharma, Principal Systems Engineer at Fortinet.
The second session of the conference had the topic “Making Power Utilities Efficient & Resilient through Innovation.” IAS officer Musharraf Faruqui, Chairman & Managing Director of Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Ltd., suggested involving academia in power planning, noting, “Quality power supply requires a lot of micro planning at every level and for that, AI is required.”
Satyajit Dwivedi, Regional Director at SAS, discussed the changing nature of energy sector projects, underlining the importance of informed choices. He said good decisions rely on data flow, making AI essential.
The third session, on the same topic, saw Sanil C. Namboodiripad, Managing Director, ONGC Tripura Power Company Ltd. (OTPC), highlight the implementation of a Blade Health Monitoring system, highlighting its real-time data capture capabilities. Sunil Agrawal, Director (Project), Bihar State Power Transmission Company Ltd. (BSPTCL), discussed the transition from relying on SCADA to utilising software for real-time data analysis. He also noted Bihar’s progress with prepaid smart meters, with 30 lakh units installed since 2019.
Sourajit Ghosh, Director (IT), Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd., acknowledged the challenges of migrating to AI, stressing the importance of having a solid foundation before adopting such technologies. He announced plans for requesting proposals for AI implementation and the development of a data lake to combat power theft.
Satyajit Dwivedi, Regional Director of EMEAP Energy Utilities, Mining & Metals, Public Sector at SAS, presented on “Transformative Synergy: Advancing Sustainability and Energy Security Through AI Innovation.” Additionally, Suresh Chandra, Sr. Director & Scientist G at STQC Directorate, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, presented on “Cyber Security Tests & Common Criteria Certification.”
Bibhu Bhuyan, Managing Director of Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited, stressed the importance of exploring energy sources beyond solar and wind. He also announced plans to establish a green hydrogen innovation centre in Assam.
The final panel of the conclave focused on ”Leveraging New Age Technologies to Counter Cyber Threats for Securing Energy Installations,” featuring experts from various organisations. It included Anwaya Bilas Sengupta from Grid Controller of India Limited, Rohit Sharma from Adani Power Limited & Adani Transmission Limited, Anil Kumar Choudhary from Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), Deepak Soni from Delhi Transco Ltd., Devraj Singh from IPPGCL, Salil Shamshery from Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd., Anish Garg from State Load Despatch Center, Delhi, and Parag Sharma, CEO & Founder of O2 Power.
This was followed with a presentation by Mukesh Kumar, Sr Manager, CSIRT-Power, who spoke on the topic “Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management & Ministry of Power Initiatives,” and said, “MoP has initiated a cyber security testing framework.”
LKS Rathore, Director of Cyber Security at the Central Electricity Authority, gave the vote of thanks and pointed out the cyber challenges in the power sector, despite having surplus power and delivering good quality electricity.
He talked about setting up CSIRTbis to make the sector stronger and introducing a Trusted Vendor Scheme for utilities to follow specific criteria. He also highlighted the major challenge of securing the Operational Technology (OT) side of the power sector. This concluded the National Sustainable Energy Innovation conclave.
