New Delhi/West Bengal, April
16, 2026.
Polaris Smart Metering
Private Limited (“Polaris”), an I Squared Capital portfolio company and one of
India’s leading integrated smart metering and digital energy infrastructure
players, today announced that it has secured financing of INR 7,100 million
(approximately USD 80 million) from British International Investment
(BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, for
its subsidiary Hooghly Smart Metering Private Limited.
The financing will
support the deployment of over 2.2 million smart meters in West Bengal,
further strengthening Polaris’ Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) footprint
and contributing to India’s broader energy transition agenda.
India’s power
distribution sector is undergoing a critical transformation as the country
works toward building a cleaner, more efficient, and digitally enabled energy
future. Distribution utilities continue to face structural challenges including
high aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses, operational
inefficiencies, and the growing need to modernise infrastructure to support
renewable energy integration.
To address these
challenges, the Government of India launched the Revamped Distribution
Sector Scheme (RDSS) with an outlay of approximately INR 3 trillion (USD
35 billion). A key pillar of the scheme is the nationwide rollout of Advanced
Metering Infrastructure (AMI), with a target of installing 250 million
smart meters by 2027.
Polaris is a homegrown,
integrated smart metering solutions provider delivering end-to-end AMI
capabilities across meter manufacturing, deployment, communications
infrastructure, and software platforms. With a growing footprint across
multiple states, Polaris is playing an important role in modernising India’s
electricity distribution ecosystem.
The deployment in West
Bengal is expected to support utilities in improving billing accuracy,
operational efficiency, and consumer transparency at scale. The smart meter
rollout will also help improve grid efficiency, reduce distribution losses, and
enable better integration of renewable energy into the power system — helping
build a more resilient, reliable, and sustainable distribution network.
Commenting on the
development, Yashraj Khaitan, Founder & CEO, Polaris, said:“This financing marks an
important milestone in Polaris’ journey to help build a smarter, more
transparent, and future-ready power distribution ecosystem for India. It will
strengthen our AMI deployment in West Bengal and further reinforce our
commitment to investing in technology, execution capability, and manufacturing
scale. At Polaris, our ambition goes beyond meter installation — we are focused
on enabling a more efficient, accountable, and financially resilient grid that
can support India’s renewable energy ambitions and long-term energy
transition.”
Shilpa Kumar, Managing
Director and Head of India, British International Investment, said:“We are pleased to support Polaris Smart Metering
as India strengthens its power distribution network. Smart meters play a
crucial role in reducing losses, improving reliability and enabling better integration
of renewable energy. This investment reflects our continued commitment to
India’s green and energy efficient future.”