Adani Electricity Mumbai announced that it has successfully reduced its aggregate technical and commercial losses to 5.93 per cent in the fiscal year 2023, compared to 6.55 per cent recorded in the previous year. The power distribution company, which is a part of the Adani Group, attributed this improvement to increased monitoring and crackdown on power theft, leading to one of the lowest loss ratios in the industry nationwide.

According to an official statement, Adani Electricity Mumbai reported a significant increase in the number of first information reports (FIRs) filed for power thefts in FY23. A total of 774 FIRs were registered with the local police, more than double the 391 cases registered in FY22.

The statement further revealed that there were 18,542 raids conducted in FY23, compared to 10,458 raids in FY22. The amount of irregularity detected also increased to Rs 38.48 crore in FY23, up from Rs 21.75 crore in the previous year.

During these raids, a total of 72.25 tonnes of wires and other equipment were seized, slightly lower than the 73.58 tonnes seized in the previous year, as stated in the release.

Adani Electricity Mumbai highlighted the impact of power theft on its network and operations. The power demand in certain slum clusters is already high, making it impractical to develop new networks due to limited space. Power theft not only strains the network but also raises the cost of servicing, as cables and transformers become more susceptible to failures, resulting in increased repair and maintenance expenses.

A spokesperson from the company emphasised that certain areas within the city have been identified as hotspots for power theft, and the company intends to intensify its efforts to further reduce the theft ratio in these locations.