India, May 24 -- India's power distribution companies (discoms), once the weakest link in the country's electricity system, achieved a historic milestone - they recently posted a profit of Rs.2,701 crore in FY 2024-25. This was the first time since Independence that discoms had such a showing. Just a year earlier, they were Rs.25,553 crore in the red, and losses stood at a staggering Rs.67,962 crore in FY 2013-14.

How has this remarkable turnaround come about? It results from sustained, targeted reforms by the Narendra Modi-led government, routed through the ministry of power. These interventions addressed entrenched problems such as delayed payments, cost mismatches, high losses, and poor metering, creating interlocking improvements acr...