IEC 62056-Compliant Interoperable Smart Metering and Load Management for Indian Distribution Utilities

Abstract

Indian distribution utilities face persistent challenges such as billing inefficiencies, high aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses, power theft and operational constraints. Although smart meters provide advanced monitoring capabilities, interoperability issues persist in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) due to multivendor deployments. India has adopted DLMS/COSEM under IS 15959 to enable standardised and interoperable metering systems. This paper presents a structured compliance assessment of Indian smart meters against IEC 62056 and IS 15959, identifying key gaps in communication profiles, security mechanisms, and interface class implementation with respect to international practices. Based on the identified gaps, the paper proposes an IEC 62056-aligned framework to improve interoperability, data reliability and system integration in multivendor AMI environments. In addition, a conceptual Emergency Load Profile is introduced to support controlled load management by enabling limited power supply to critical loads during contingencies or nonpayment conditions. The proposed approach enhances grid reliability, operational efficiency and utility-level flexibility, while also supporting large-scale smart meter deployments aligned with national initiatives such as Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.