Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. (MSEDCL), as a wholly owned entity of the Government of Maharashtra, is the largest electricity distribution company in India with over 30 million consumers.

In an era where digital technologies are reshaping industries, MSEDCL stands at the forefront of innovation. MSEDCL has harnessed the power of Information Technology (IT) to revolutionize its operations, enhance service delivery, improve customer experiences and drive operational efficiency.

Following are the key projects that MSEDCL has implemented in recent years bringing in transparency, efficiency and ease of business.

1. Mahavitaran Land Portal under Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojna’ (MSKVY) 2.0

There are around 45 Lakh agriculture consumers which consume 22% of the electricity of the state. Presently power supplied to agricultural consumers is during day and night-time on a rotational basis. The night-time power supply to farmers is creating a lot of inconvenience to them and there is a constant demand for a long time to provide reliable electricity supply to farmers during the daytime. On the other hand, there is also a strong demand that the industries and businesses in the state should be supplied with electricity at a reasonable rate to maintain their competitiveness.

To overcome these problems, ‘Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojna (MSKVY) 2.0’ scheme has been launched to give daytime power to farmers and for renewable energy penetration wherein decentralized solar projects of 7,000 MW will be taken up in fast-track mode and achieve 30% feeder solarization by 2025.

Solar power being cost-effective will also help in reducing the overall power purchase cost by a considerable margin. The decentralized solar plants (capacity from 0.5 MW to 25 MW) are being developed within a 5 – 10 km radius of the agriculture load-dominated distribution sub-station.

Technology plays an important role in supporting investment and management decisions, seamless flow of information and preventing delays in coordination for this program. Therefore, the “Mahavitaran Land Portal” provides a single window IT platform for different stakeholders such as Landowners, District Administration, MSEDCL field employees, the Government of Maharashtra, etc. to achieve the shared goal of decentralised solar projects all over Maharashtra State.

Salient Features of Mahavitaran Land Portal

1. All progress related to land application is sent to the registered mobile number through SMS.

2. A list of sub-stations (District-wise, Taluka wise & village-wise) is provided on the portal.

3. Online payment facility provided to the applicant. He / She may make payments by Net Banking, Debit/Credit, Digital wallets & Cash Cards etc.

4. Module Users –
a) Registered user: Applicant/Pvt Landowner who has surplus land to apply for the MSKVY scheme.
b) Employee: MSEDCL Authority to process the application.
c) District Administration: To verify the uploaded documents and other land details.
d) Nodal user: For verifying the documents uploaded in the Data Room
e) Developer: Bidder who which to bid for setting up Solar Power plants

5. A Mobile App is provided for MSEDCL Field Officials for the Joint Survey of Land for further process. After submission of the application, the Executive Engineer (Civil) from the concerned Zone will approve this after verification of the provided documents. After Approval of the application, a Joint Survey with the concerned Superintending Engineer (O&M) is carried out through the Mobile App. Joint Survey reports are uploaded through the Mobile app. After that Civil & RE section (Corporate Office) approves the Joint Survey.

6. Dashboard of Land, Joint Survey report scrutiny report & various reports provided to MSEDCL employees for further decision-making of land whether feasible or not.

2. Mahavitaran ChatBot (Urja)

When navigating through a website, new users face difficulties in accessing information and availing services. Mahavitaran Chatbot is designed keeping these issues in mind so that users can access various facilities provided by Mahavitaran easily through the interface of Chatbot which is available in English as well as Marathi languages.

The goal of Chatbot Urja is to provide users with a seamless and interactive experience, allowing them to obtain information, ask questions, or perform specific tasks through a conversational interface.

Multilingual: Keeping in mind that users feel more comfortable and engaged when interacting in their preferred language, the Urja chatbot is designed to operate in two languages – English and Marathi. Users can select a language of their choice for personalized experience, fostering better communication and understanding.

Security and Encryption: Urja Chatbot provides authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access and protect user accounts. OTP authorization for consumers prevents unauthorized access and enhances overall security. This additional verification step provides for sensitive transactions or interactions, adding an extra layer of security.

Apart from implementing authentication protocols, robust encryption protocols are used to safeguard user data during transmission, preventing unauthorized access.

Enhancing Customer Experience: Urja Chat Bot can be accessed 24/7, providing instant, consistent, and personalized interactions. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also reinforces our commitment to delivering exceptional service. Urja provides round-the-clock assistance, addressing user queries and concerns at any time, which helps users gain access to support at any time of the day irrespective of working hours.

Operational Efficiency: The use of APIs to handle routine tasks of Chatbot significantly boosts operational efficiency. By handling similar repetitive inquiries through responses from APIs, manual intervention for providing information is eliminated and response time is considerably reduced providing operational efficiency.

Instant Responses: Urja can respond to user queries instantly, providing quick and efficient customer support and reducing the time users have to wait for assistance.

Consistent Customer Experience: Urja delivers a consistent level of service and information, ensuring that users receive the same quality of assistance regardless of the time of day or the specific customer service representative handling the interaction.

Handling Repetitive Tasks: Using NLP and APIs, Chatbot excels at handling repetitive tasks, freeing up human resources to focus on more complex and strategic activities that require creativity and critical thinking.

Integration: The Urja Chat Bot has been integrated with several applications/systems of MSEDCL using APIs to ensure that the end user can easily gain access to several services at one place. On Urja Chat Bot, Consumer has the following facilities –
• Apply for a New Connection
• Check application status
• View and Pay Bill
• Quick Bill Payment
• Go Green Registration
• Self-Meter Reading
• Complaint Registration
• Update Mobile No., Email id
• Missed Call Service
• Toll-Free Number, etc.

3. MSEDCL Portal for PM Suryaghar Yojana

MSEDCL has rolled out the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar – Muft Bijli Yojana (PM Suryaghar) to provide consumers with a convenient application portal for installing their own renewable energy generating system (Rooftop Solar). The Rooftop Solar (RTS) plant is a system installed mainly on the roof of a building wherein a valid and live electricity connection has been provided by the concerned Distribution utilities. The Solar power so generated can then be used either for captive consumption of the premises or can be fed into the grid and be adjusted in the electricity bill.

The Online Application Portal (https://www.mahadiscom.in/ismart/) offers consumers freedom from all the manual processes like visiting field offices, obtaining application forms, payment of registration charges etc.

Empanelled agencies are displayed for ease of application and consumers can select an Empanelled agency of their choice. The total RE System cost and subsidy amount are displayed for transparency. Users can track the status of their application on this portal.

4. PM Kusum B Scheme for Off-Grid Solar pumps to Agriculture Consumers

The PM-KUSUM scheme of the Government of India is one of the largest initiatives in the world to provide clean energy and water security to farmers, enhance their income, de-dieselize the farm sector, and reduce environmental pollution. It aims to add the Solar capacity of about 34,800 MW by March 2026.

Component B of the PM KUSUM Yojana specifically focuses on the installation of Off-Grid Solar-powered agriculture pumps for Small and marginal farmers. This component is designed to help farmers replace diesel-powered irrigation pumps with solar-powered ones, thereby reducing their dependence on expensive and polluting diesel fuel. Farmers can have water for fields in the daytime.

Component B involves the installation of standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5 HP. MSEDCL sends a unique link via SMS to AG-paid pending Consumers to apply for Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps.

The PM Kusum B also involves post-pump installation activities such as integration with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Portal for Remote Monitoring of the Scheme and its implementation. Total Standalone Pumps Installed and Total Solar Capacity (MW) generated through these Off-Grid Solar-powered agriculture pumps are displayed and monitored on the PM Kusum Portal.

5. Mobile App for Consumers

The Mahavitaran Consumer App is a robust mobile application developed by MSEDCL to enhance customer service and provide users with convenient access to various electricityrelated services. Acting as a one-stop solution for MSEDCL consumers, the app enables efficient management of electricity accounts, whether at home or on the go. Users can easily view and pay current bills, register and track complaints, apply for new connections, request name or load changes, track application status, update contact details, and submit self-meter readings. The app is user-friendly and available in both English and Marathi.

Key Features

1. View and Pay Bills

Consumers can easily view their current electricity bills and make payments directly through the app. The app supports multiple payment options, including credit/debit cards, net banking, and mobile wallets, making the payment process seamless and convenient.

2. Bill and Payment History

The app provides users with access to their past bills and payment history, allowing them to track their electricity consumption and payments over time. This feature helps consumers stay informed about their billing patterns and manage their expenses better.

3. Service Applications

Users can submit applications for various services, such as new electricity connections, name changes, load changes, and address corrections. The app streamlines the application process by allowing consumers to upload required documents directly through their mobile devices. Consumers can also Pay online the Fees & Charges for the submitted application.

4. Meter Reading Submission

For consumers with self-meter reading options, the app allows them to submit their meter readings quickly and accurately. This feature ensures that users are billed based on actual consumption, avoiding estimated bills.

5. Complaint Registration

The Mahavitaran Consumer App enables users to register complaints related to electricity services, such as power outages, billing issues, or faulty meters. Consumers can track the status of their complaints in real time, ensuring timely resolution.

6. Bill Calculator

Consumers can calculate their estimated bill based on the activities, tariff and connected load. This feature ensures that users are billed under the correct tariff category based on their usage.

7. Application Tracking

The app allows users to track the status of their submitted applications and service requests. This real-time tracking feature keeps consumers informed about the progress of their applications, reducing the need for follow-up calls or visits to MSEDCL offices.

8. Notifications and Alerts

The app sends users important notifications and alerts, such as bill due dates, payment confirmations, and service updates. These notifications help consumers stay on top of their electricity account management.

The Mahavitaran Consumer App is a powerful tool designed to empower MSEDCL consumers by providing them with easy access to essential services and information. It reflects MSEDCL’s commitment to improving customer service and making electricity management more efficient and user-friendly.

6. Employee Portal and Mobile Apps for Employees

A. Employee Portal

The MSEDCL’s ‘MITRA’ Employee Portal represents a significant leap toward digital efficiency and employee satisfaction. Before its launch, all HR processes were manual and required human interactions from start to finish. To address this, the Employee Portal was introduced to streamline HR activities, offering functionalities such as leave applications, claim submissions, profile updates, and access to salary and PF details. Notifications and alerts are sent through the portal, ensuring employees stay informed about their daily tasks. The shift to online approvals has greatly reduced delays in bill processing and paperwork, resulting in improved employee satisfaction.

The portal features built-in validations to prevent errors and provides comprehensive access to personal details, contributing to higher employee satisfaction. Additionally, it simplifies processes with status tracking and real-time updates.

The portal offers a range of features such as:
• Access to personal details, salary slips, leave history, and disciplinary records.
• Online management of Group Medi-claim Policy.
• Roster uploads, transfer retention applications, and integration with biometric attendance systems.
• Options to submit and track claims for TA, LTC, medical reimbursements, and other allowances.
• Nomination and submission for MSEDCL Excellence Awards.
• Secure login with HRMS credentials and OTP, with password management options.
• Real-time updates on announcements, office orders, news, user manuals and circulars.
• Notifications for pending applications and CRM system alerts.
• Document management, including downloading pay slips and uploading office orders and circulars.
• Viewing biometric attendance, employee biodata, and history related to exams, loans, and disciplinary actions.
• Apply for company quarters, training, etc.
• Submit joining reports post-transfer or promotion.
• Submit feedback, complaints, and suggestions, and contact HR personnel for assistance.

B. Mobile Apps for Employees

MSEDCL has developed 5 nos. of employee apps to enhance day-to-day work efficiency and promote good governance among its workforces. These apps are designed exclusively for internal use within the company. Employees can access these apps to streamline their tasks and improve overall productivity. These are the powerful, secure, and user-friendly tools that promise to redefine technological interventions in the distribution space, ultimately enhancing the employee experience.

Here is a brief overview of these mobile apps for employees:

i. Employee Mitra App for MSEDCL Employees

The Employee Mitra app by MSEDCL is a comprehensive mobile application designed to facilitate and streamline various HR and administrative processes for its employees. The app allows employees to receive important notifications and access essential forms and documents. The app also provides a convenient platform for employees to access important information, such as their personal details, leave balances, salary slips, and service records, directly from their smartphones.

Also Read :- Network Mapping In Policing Enhancing Community Safety And Building Strategic Intelligence

MSEDCL employees can carry out the following official works:
• Feeder Management: Outage management, Load Management, Feeder Reading and Feeder statistics.
• Disconnection Management (Temporary & Permanent Disconnection): Disconnect/Accept Payment, Reconnect Meter, PD verification and Compliances.
• Capture Geo Coordinates: Offices, Substation, Transformer, HT consumers, collection centre, etc.
• Theft Reporting & Verification, Spot Inspection, Exception & Check Reading.
• Complaint Resolution & entering updates regarding complaints.
• HR activities such as Leave application, Transfer request, Claim submission, Mediclaim, Profile update, Salary& PF details, Seniority details, Disciplinary action status, etc. Notification and alerts for day-to-day work is sent to employees.
• HT SUB Meter Reading, Equipment/Line Fault, Transformer Failure MIS, Roof Top Consumer Data, etc.
• Suggestion to Management.

Overall, the Employee Mitra app enhances the efficiency and convenience of MSEDCL’s workforce management, ensuring that employees have easy access to the tools and information they need to perform their roles effectively.

ii. Meter Reading App for MSEDCL Employees

Accurate meter readings are crucial for an Electricity Distribution Company, as it ensures correct billing and reduce consumer complaints. This app replaces the manual photo meter reading process, streamlining tasks like capturing meter photos, data entry, file creation, and validation into just a few clicks on a smartphone. Meter reading tasks are assigned via a web console and carried out by meter readers, who use the app to capture photos and readings at consumer premises. The app records geo-coordinates of the meter location to verify accurate readings. The mandatory use of this app has eliminated system leakages, leading to significant growth in recorded consumption compared to the previous year.

iii. Asset Survey App

The Geographical Information System (GIS) is crucial for a large utility like MSEDCL, which is committed to digitization and system-driven processes. The Asset Survey App empowers employees to accurately record the geo-coordinates (latitude/longitude) and essential details of electrical assets, including feeders, transformers, poles, feeder pillars, and consumer metering locations. This capability enhances MSEDCL’s ability to monitor and manage its vast network of assets effectively. The GIS data is seamlessly integrated into other critical systems, supporting tasks such as technical feasibility assessments for new connections, optimizing routes for disconnection drives, Network planning, and SCADA DMS operations. This integration not only streamlines operations but also significantly improves efficiency across the board.

Key Features:

• Capture geo-coordinates and technical details of assets such as substations, power transformers, feeder meters, DTC meters, feeder pillars, poles, lines, RMUs, switches, switchgear, bus bars, and consumer meters.
• Check SAP project status and upload asset photos with latitude and longitude.
• Inspect new materials received at the MM cell and factory locations, as assigned in the Inspection portal.
• Submit infrastructure technical feasibility and capture geo-coordinates for assets required by Hon. MP/MLA under AG Policy 2020.
• Display the history of the Network Asset Survey.
• Submit feeder surveys with AG consumers.
• Submit maintenance and breakdown repair requests created in the M-Portal..

iv. New Connection App

Designed to provide a paperless and mobile experience while speeding up the process of releasing new electricity connections, the New Connection app for Employees offers all the functionalities of the traditional New Connection System. Previously, this process required extensive data entry from paper records in office settings, consuming significant employee time. The app facilitates the timely approval of technical feasibility and the swift release of new connections. It also enables real-time monitoring and tracking of connection requests, allowing for prompt approvals and reducing the backlog of pending connections.

Functionalities:
• Conduct and Submit Technical feasibility at the consumer location itself.
• Release new connection by capturing details like meter no, initial reading, geo co-ordinates etc. Update ERP stock
simultaneously.
• Convert AG unmetered to AG Meter Consumer
• HVDS Quality check: Cross-verify the HVDS work done by the vendor.
• Submit Solar Technical feasibility and capture Geocoordinates of consumer location.
• Submit meter replacement.
• Submit HVDS Project status.

v. Gatishakti Mobile App

The PM Gatishakti Portal, a flagship digital platform of the Government of India, aims to enhance and modernize India’s infrastructure across sectors. As part of this initiative, the MSEDCL is required to submit GIS data for all LT/HT poles on the PM GatiShakti portal. In response to directives from the Government of Maharashtra (GoM), MSEDCL has prioritized completing a GIS survey of the remaining HT and LT network up to the poles. To facilitate this, MSEDCL developed a dedicated mobile app called the Gati-Shakti app, capturing all Poles and Feeder Pillars in a fast-track mode. The necessary training to field offices up to the Janmitra level has been provided and user manual for the app has been circulated. MSEDCL’s field offices are actively working on completing the asset survey for the remaining network using the Gatishakti Mobile app.

Important Features:

User-Friendly Mobile App
• Easily capture network asset details with an easy user interface.
• Works offline—no mobile network or data is required during the survey.

Automatic and Customizable DataEntry
• Pole numbers are generated automatically. Option to enter Painted Pole numbers for reference.
• All entries, except painted pole numbers, use dropdown menus (user can modify options).

Enhanced Features
• Georeferencing ensures accurate pole location with GPS data (only GPS-enabled photos can be uploaded).
• Prevents data duplication—previously surveyed data won’t appear in dropdowns.
• Ability to view and modify network data.

Data Management
• Specific provisions for cut-point and endpoint poles for precise network mapping.
• Alert for unsent data if logging out without sending information.

7. MSEDCL Web Self-Service Portal for Consumers

The MSEDCL Web Self-Service Portal is an online platform that allows consumers to manage various electricityrelated services conveniently from their homes. Through this portal, users can view and pay bills, check bills and payment history, and submit applications for services like new connections, name changes, load changes, and address corrections. Additionally, consumers can submit meter readings, register complaints, upload necessary documents, and declare activities for tariff applicability. Every application is authenticated via OTP sent to the registered mobile number, and users can pay fees and charges online, eliminating the need to visit an MSEDCL office.

8. MSEDCL Dashboards for KPI Monitoring

MSEDCL Dashboard provides at-a-glance views of KPIs (key performance indicators) relevant to business processes (e.g. Energy sales, payment collection, material stock, or balance sheet).

To observe exactly how well the organization is performing overall, digital dashboards allow to capture and report specific data points, thus providing a “snapshot” of performance. The detailed reports allow the concerned employees to start work on the relevant KPIs immediately without depending on any other employee or department.The Dashboard is a useful working tool for all MSEDCL employees right from top Management to down-the-line linemen.

MSEDCL Dashboard provides an easy, affordable way to provide actionable information for a wide range of people and roles and embed them wherever needed.

MSEDCL Dashboard is a SAP Business Objects Data Visualization Tool that is used to create interactive dashboards from different data sources. Dashboard allows BI developers to create custom dashboards from almost any data source to meet the business requirements of an organization.

Dashboard’s Analytics is divided into Billing Analytics, Energy Analytics and ERP Analytics for easy content navigation.

Features:
• Near Real-time information
• Graphical visualisation
• Information aggregated geographically
• Drill down analysis up to the Subdivision office
• Comparison of KPIs across offices
• Monitoring reports office-wise or consumer-wise.

Benefits Observed:
1. Visual representation of Key Performance Indicators with meaningful, actionable, and useful data.
2. Assess efficiencies and inefficiencies while identifying and correcting negative trends.
3. Generate detailed reports to uncover new trends and enable more informed decision-making based on collected business intelligence.
4. Instantly gain complete visibility across all systems, saving time by avoiding the need to run multiple reports.
5. The MSEDCL Dashboard provides users with anytime, anywhere access to decision-ready intelligence.
6. Flexible and scalable, self-service BI allows users to easily discover and share real-time insights for better decision-making.
7. The MSEDCL Dashboard enables users to answer complex questions with just a few clicks.
8. This real-time BI solution lets users integrate data from various sources, create engaging data visualizations, and run ad hoc reports.
9. With its flexible architecture, the MSEDCL Dashboard analytics platform supports growth, accommodating a few users to tens of thousands, and expanding from a single tool to multiple tools and interfaces.
10. Thanks to this always-available tool that offers realtime analysis, MSEDCL has discontinued reviews based on PowerPoint, Excel, etc., providing reviewers with accurate, up -to-date information while saving the reviewee time previously spent preparing lengthy presentations and justifications.

Source: Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. 

Be a part of Elets Collaborative Initiatives. Join Us for Upcoming Events and explore business opportunities. Like us on Facebook , connect with us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter, Instagram.

"Exciting news! Elets technomedia is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest insights!" Click here!