A. Highlights from the 51st Annual General Meeting of ERDA, 24th September 2025

The 51^st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of ERDA was held on September 24, 2025, at hotel The Lalit Mumbai under the chairmanship of Mr. Tapan K. Tripathy, President – ERDA. This milestone event showcased ERDA’s achievements over the past year and outlined future research initiatives, bringing together members from electrical industries, PSUs, and utilities across India.

Mr. Tapan Tripathy opened the meeting with a welcome address, expressing gratitude to stakeholders for their continued support. He reaffirmed ERDA’s commitment to advancing research, delivering exceptional service to the electrical sector, and fostering collaborations that drive progress in India’s power industry.

Key highlights included a presentation on research milestones, a financial overview, upcoming initiatives, and recognitions earned by ERDA. The AGM concluded with an engaging Q&A session, providing attendees an opportunity to interact directly with ERDA’s leadership and gain deeper insights into the organization’s strategic vision.

As per Rule 50 of the Rules & Regulations of the Association, one-third of the members of the Managing Committee elected under sub-rule 48(1)(a) shall retire at every Annual General Meeting and are eligible for re-election.

A total of fifteen nominations were received for the election of six members to the Managing Committee, who are retiring after completing three years in the year 2024-25. Out of the 15 contestants, Dr Vijay Shah from ABB India Limited, Mr Ajay Kahane from CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited, Mr Kuldeep Singh Dhiman from Genus Power Infrastructure Limited, Mr Prabhakar Phatak from Savita Oil Technologies Limited, Mr Srinivasan S from L&T Limited and Mr Sundeep Tandon from HPL Electric and Power Limited were elected as Managing Committee members. Their tenure as members will be for three years.

B. President’s Address at the Annual General Meeting

The President welcomed members and colleagues to ERDA’s 51^st Annual General Meeting, expressing gratitude for their continued support in ERDA’s five-decade journey of excellence in advancing India’s power sector. He acknowledged the contributions of customers, members, management, and employees in sustaining ERDA’s legacy of quality and innovation.

He shared that ERDA achieved an operational revenue of ₹79.57 crore in 2024–25, marking 8% growth over the previous year. During the year, ERDA generated ₹15 crore in new business, participated in 98 tenders, and connected with over 250 customers through meetings, events, and Sampark programs. The organization also earned ₹5.5 crore from overseas clients and received recognition from KAHRAMAA, Qatar, as a Third-Party Independent Testing Laboratory.

The President highlighted major R&D accomplishments, including the development and demonstration of Aluminum-Ion Battery technology, an Indian Patent on a Voltage Presence Indicator, and patent filings in India and the US. ERDA was also honoured with the CII Industrial Innovation Award and the IEI Industry Excellence Award 2024.

Significant collaborations included MoUs with The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda for a Centre on Energy Management and Sustainability Studies, the Central Board of Irrigation and Power for joint technical services, and a technology transfer agreement for ERDA’s Hot Spot Detector.

He shared that ERDA published 21 technical papers, initiated five new in-house R&D projects, and continued work on 20 ongoing projects across areas such as energy storage, mobility, insulation systems, and condition monitoring. ERDA also supported SMEs and MSMEs through collaborative R&D initiatives and IEEMA’s TISCO committee.

Knowledge-sharing activities included 10 technical workshops, partnerships with CBIP and ITMA, and dissemination of IEEE technical abstracts. Major assignments were completed in energy audits, power quality studies, and diagnostic testing for leading industries and utilities.

ERDA also expanded infrastructure with new facilities such as the Solar Inverter Test Facility, Low Voltage Switchgear Testing Facility, and advanced calibration setups. New capabilities were added for on-site diagnostics, including a 60 kV damped AC testing system and mobile diagnostic van.

Future plans include establishing advanced facilities for solar PV, inverters, EVSE, batteries, and cable testing, along with a new integrated laboratory at Jhajjar, Haryana. The President emphasized that ERDA maintained all major accreditations and introduced new measures to enhance report authenticity through holograms and QR codes.

On the HR front, leadership and technical training programs were conducted at IIMs and within ERDA, totaling nearly 1,000 man-days of training. The Organization Transformation Programme was launched to drive customer satisfaction and growth.

He also noted that ERDA continued to promote employee engagement through celebrations of Foundation Day, Independence Day, Republic Day, and festivals such as Ganesh Utsav, Navratri, and Diwali.

In conclusion, the President thanked the Vice President, Executive Committee, Managing Committee, Director, and the entire ERDA family for their dedication, and expressed confidence that with collective effort, ERDA would continue to achieve excellence and contribute to the nation’s progress.