GEAPP Moves to Raise $100 Million to Digitise India’s Power Grids

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet has announced plans to mobilise approximately $100 million by 2028 to support large-scale digitisation of India’s electricity networks. The initiative is designed to strengthen grid reliability, improve renewable energy integration and help align infrastructure development with the country’s long-term climate targets.

Speaking during Mumbai Climate Week, Chief Executive Woochong Um indicated that the alliance will seek anchor backing from multilateral institutions including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The fund is intended to scale digital grid upgrades beyond initial pilot deployments and convert climate objectives into investable infrastructure programmes.

 

From Pilot Projects to National Scale

 

The proposed financing vehicle follows an initial $25 million deployment supporting digitisation in Rajasthan and Delhi. That first phase focused on upgrading legacy grid systems with advanced data platforms, automation tools and improved monitoring systems.

The next stage aims to replicate and expand that model nationwide. By 2028, the alliance intends to work with at least 15 utilities, using a phased rollout to validate technology performance, ensure regulatory alignment and build institutional capacity.

Backed by the Rockefeller Foundation, the IKEA Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund, the alliance is positioning grid digitalisation as foundational infrastructure for India’s clean energy expansion rather than a supplementary technology upgrade.

 

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Why Digital Grids Are Central to India’s Energy Strategy

 

India’s electricity demand continues to rise in parallel with economic growth and industrial expansion. At the same time, the country has committed to reaching 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and reducing emissions intensity by 45 percent compared with 2005 levels.

Modern grid infrastructure is critical to managing these parallel pressures. Digitisation integrates artificial intelligence, sensors and real-time analytics into power networks, allowing utilities to balance variable solar and wind generation, reduce transmission losses and respond more quickly to system stress.

Without these upgrades, renewable deployment can face curtailment, congestion and reliability risks. Smart grid systems enable more precise load management and improve the stability of networks as renewable penetration increases.

 

Strengthening Utility Performance and Bankability

 

Digitised grids can also address long-standing operational challenges within India’s utility sector. Improved demand forecasting, automated billing, reduced technical losses and better theft detection can enhance financial performance and creditworthiness.

For investors, this creates a stronger foundation for blended finance structures that combine philanthropic capital, development finance and institutional funding. By building replicable models, the alliance aims to reduce perceived risk and attract larger pools of capital into grid infrastructure.

Multilateral lenders increasingly view grid modernisation as a high-impact enabler of decarbonisation because it unlocks renewable energy pipelines and stabilises returns on clean power investments.

 

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Linking Climate Ambition with Infrastructure Delivery

 

India has set a net-zero target for 2070 and plans for half of its installed capacity to come from non-fossil sources by 2030. Achieving these goals depends not only on building renewable generation but also on ensuring that electricity systems can transmit and manage that power efficiently.

The proposed fund reflects a broader shift in climate finance toward system-level upgrades rather than isolated generation assets. Digitisation acts as connective infrastructure, aligning economic growth with emissions reduction objectives while reinforcing grid resilience.

If successfully scaled, the programme could provide a model for other emerging economies seeking to integrate rapid renewable growth into legacy electricity networks.