Essential that we make our own rules taking into account our needs: Energy Minister Manohar Lal

It is imperative that we make our own rules to suit our own needs, rather than directly borrowing regulations from others, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said on Monday (January 19, 2026).

Speaking at the inauguration of the Center of Excellence (CoE) for Regulatory Affairs in the Power Sector at IIT Delhi, he explained: “We [India’s power sector] compete with the world. They will make their own regulations; we will also make our regulations. However, it is necessary that instead of [borrowing entirely] their regulations, we draw up regulations that meet our requirements.”

Separately, he had stated, “There must come a day when our rules are accepted by the world [as a standard].”

Further, Mr. Lal emphasized that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to do away with unnecessary regulations. “Regulation is important; however, it is essential that regulation further drives excellence,” he said, adding: “There is no gain if we continue to regulate but do not scale up any excellence.”

‘Discoms in profits would boost investor confidence’

Commenting on Distribution Companies (DisComs) in India turning profitable in FY 2024-25 after years of losses, Mr. Lal said, “The fact that Discoms are making profits would help boost investor confidence in various streams of the sector. It would help facilitate rapid privatization on a large scale in the sector if they are confident that the [overall] sector is profitable.”

For context, the Power Ministry on Sunday (January 18, 2026) informed that India’s electricity distribution companies, namely Distribution Companies (DisComs) and Power Departments, after reversing several years of losses, have posted a net profit of ₹2,701 crore in the financial year 2024-2025. The Hindu learned from a senior ministry official that the profit margin was mainly led by state-run DisComs that cut their losses by about 80% between FY 2023 and FY 2025, a senior energy ministry official said. The Hindu.