Mumbai, Sept. 1 -- The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has outlined a plan to phase out imports of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems by 2030 as part of an indigenisation drive. SCADA forms the control layer of the grid, enabling operators to monitor generation, transmission and substations in real time and to control critical equipment remotely. The CEA said grid-level SCADA contains less than 20 per cent local content despite a government requirement of at least 50 per cent domestic content.
A CEA-constituted committee has proposed a three-year phasing from 2026-27 to 2028-29 to localise software and hardware for SCADA. The roadmap prioritises basic systems first and plans core SCADA and communication development from 2026-27, followed by advanced tools to assess grid condition, manage generation and plan electricity flows. It lists 38 software modules and 25 hardware components such as servers, workstations and storage required for indigenous networks.
The committee has proposed a National SCADA Mission or a working group under the Ministry of Power, and development could involve a government entity, a public sector undertaking or a consortium including Power Grid Corporation of India, Grid-India and domestic technology firms. It recommends government-backed testing and pilot projects at load dispatch centres to validate indigenous systems under real operating conditions before wider deployment.
Indigenisation is also driven by cybersecurity concerns and supply-chain risks stemming from unrest in West Asia that have disrupted shipping and component availability. The CEA warned of vulnerabilities where upgrades and cybersecurity support depend on overseas vendors. The government has notified new Cyber Security in Power Sector Regulations scheduled to come into effect from April one, 2027, which set mandatory measures to protect critical systems and data.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.