New Delhi: As India scales up digital initiatives to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets, cybersecurity challenges have come into sharp focus, especially in critical sectors like power transmission and distribution. Experts at the ET Energyworld SmartEnergy Summit 2024, during the panel discussion on “Transforming Indian Power Sector: Scaling Up Digital,” emphasized the importance of robust governance, advanced technologies, and coordinated strategies to ensure resilience against evolving threats.

India is targeting 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, necessitating large-scale integration of solar and wind energy into the grid. A B Sengupta, Alternate Chief Information Security Officer (Alt-CISO), GRID-INDIA, highlighted the cybersecurity risks associated with this transition. “As we pursue 500 GW RE capacity, integrating solar and wind with the grid raises cybersecurity concerns, including vulnerabilities in devices, firmware, physical security, and foreign players’ influence on control systems, necessitating robust safeguards,” he said.

Initiatives to strengthen cybersecurity

To address these challenges, Doman Yadav, Executive Director and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd., announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in collaboration with IISc Bangalore. “We are setting up a Centre of Excellence with IISc Bangalore to address and mitigate cybersecurity challenges in transmission systems,” Yadav said.

Strengthening coordination across key stakeholders is also a priority. Sengupta added, “We have implemented a Cybersecurity Coordination Forum, integrating regional and central forums to strengthen coordination with all SLDCs.”

Digital transformation and smart meter deployment

India’s push for digital transformation in the power sector has seen the rollout of smart meters, covering 30% of customers so far. While this marks a significant step toward technology adoption, it also brings additional risks. Tarun Batra, Head of Digital & Information Technology at Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd., stressed the need for governance and monitoring. “We have installed smart meters covering 30% of our customers, a key step in smart technology adoption. However, advancing further brings cybersecurity challenges, making robust governance and 24×7 monitoring critical to safeguarding data flow, protecting networks, and ensuring operational security,” Batra said.

Call for a futuristic cybersecurity policy

The panel also underscored the need for a comprehensive cybersecurity policy to protect India’s critical infrastructure. Bhupesh Janoti, Senior Consultant at the Data Security Council of India, emphasized a forward-looking approach. “The government should develop a futuristic cybersecurity policy with a vision to safeguard critical sectors like energy, health, and power, incorporating AI, ML, and advanced technologies to address evolving threats and ensure resilience,” Janoti said.

The path ahead

With increasing digitalization across the energy sector, the need for proactive measures to mitigate cybersecurity risks has become critical. Experts stressed that advanced technologies, strong governance frameworks, and industry collaboration are essential to securing India’s power sector while scaling up renewable energy and smart grid systems.

The establishment of centers of excellence, cybersecurity forums, and coordinated monitoring systems marks significant progress. However, addressing vulnerabilities in renewable energy integration and building resilience against external threats will remain a priority as India accelerates its clean energy transition.