Govt Amends Norms To Give Preference To Make In India Smart Meters 

The Ministry of Power has now amended its earlier notification related to public procurement, which gives special preference to Make in India materials. The latest amendment notification has included smart meters under its preference list. Earlier electricity meters were in the list but smart meters were not part of it.

The ministry had in 2017 issued a list of several appliances and components related to the electricity sector. The list of products mentioned in the list was eligible for preference in public procurement. The existing list included energy meters excluding smart meters, to get the benefits.

However, the new amendment has made the lone change of amending this norm to include electricity meters, including smart meters, paving the way for including Make in India smart meters under the government’s preference list and its subsequent mass offtake.

The revised list said that the Class-I local supplier would have to ensure a minimum of 50 percent local content in these smart meters to be eligible for government support.

The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), to encourage the Make in India manufacturing and production of goods and services in India, had issued the list for Public Procurement (with preference to Make in India) in its 2017 order.

As per the earlier order, to promote local products and manufacturing, all goods and services or works other than those listed in the list, only class-I and Class-II local suppliers were eligible to bid in procurement undertaken by procuring entities except when the global tender was issued.