Schneider Electric, NFH to Boost India’s Digital Energy Grid
Schneider Electric and Networks for Humanity partner to develop India's Digital Energy Grid to manage rising power demands from AI and EVs.
In a strategic move to modernize India's power infrastructure, Schneider Electric and Networks for Humanity (NFH) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at advancing the country's emerging Digital Energy Grid (DEG). This partnership seeks to merge Schneider Electric’s advanced energy technology with NFH’s expertise in creating open, interoperable digital networks.
Addressing India's Massive Power Surge
The collaboration comes at a critical juncture for India's energy landscape. With the rise of high-intensity loads such as artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, and electric vehicles (EVs), India's peak electricity demand is projected to approach 300 GW by 2027. The integration of renewable energy and distributed resources further necessitates a smarter, more responsive system.
The Digital Energy Grid initiative aims to create an open digital layer that connects various participants across the energy ecosystem. Supported by the India Energy Stack, this framework will allow consumers, energy assets, and market players to interact through seamless, interoperable digital systems.
Key Focus Areas of the Partnership
Under the terms of the agreement, Schneider Electric will contribute its deep technical knowledge in several critical sectors, including:
- Digital grids and energy management
- Automation and microgrids
- Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure
- Industrial load management and building systems
- Distributed energy resources
Pilot Projects to Test Future Energy Solutions
The partnership will focus on identifying and designing pilot applications to test how energy assets and end-users can be effectively linked. These initial efforts will target several key areas:
- Utility energy intelligence
- Demand flexibility for industrial and building sectors
- Home energy management systems
- Fast-charging flexibility for electric vehicles
- Carbon footprint accounting and trading
These pilots are designed to validate core ecosystem functions, specifically focusing on discoverability, trust, and transactability between value creators and value takers. Once these technical and operational parameters are validated, the organizations plan to assess pathways for broader deployment.
"India’s energy transition will increasingly be defined not just by how much energy we generate, but by how intelligently we consume, manage and share it," said Deepak Sharma, Zone President - Greater India, MD & CEO, Schneider Electric India.
Sujith Nair, Co-Founder of Networks for Humanity, emphasized the necessity of this shift, noting that as energy becomes increasingly digital and distributed, the ability for diverse systems and participants to work together will be the key to unlocking the sector's full potential.