When India became independent in 1947, the country had a power generating capacity of 1,362 MW. Generation and distribution of electrical power was carried out primarily by private utility companies. Notable amongst them and still in existence is Calcutta Electric. Power was available only in a few urban centers; rural areas and villages did not have electricity.
After 1947, all new power generation, transmission and distribution in the rural sector and the urban centers (which was not served by private utilities) came under the purview of State and Central government agencies. State Electricity Boards (SEBs) were formed in all the states.
National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Power Grid Corporation Limited (PGCL) were formed by the government to assist in meeting the increasing demand for electricity throughout the country. The electricity sector is in the 'concurrent list', meaning that both, State and Central governments, participate in the sector's development. The Ministry of Power in the Central government formulates the policies for the power sector. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) was established as a statutory authority to develop a 2nd National Power Policy and also to function as a regulatory authority. As per government guidelines, all power projects above a certain capacity have to obtain techno-economic clearance from CEA before they can be implemented. A new Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources has also been formed to focus on renewable energy sources to augment the generation capacity of electrical power.
The Public sector units (PSUs) provided a vital service to the nation in the post-independence era. From the few transmission and distribution networks existing at the time of independence, in few urban centers, the PSUs have established networks covering the entire length and breadth of the country. Besides, massive rural electrification programs have boosted agricultural production in a big way. Today, India is self-sufficient in food grains primarily because of this.
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