The failure of the northern power grid on Monday morning that affected several states, including Delhi, is not a surprising event. It is no secret that India’s power sector is facing one of its worst crises in recent history with rapid urbanisation and industrialisation combined with the accompanying capacity deficit to meet those challenges.

Some figures are stark. India’s network loss stands at 32 per cent, more than double the global average of 15 per cent. A large majority of these losses are what are termed as “non-technical”, which include power theft. Technical losses include outdated technology and infrastructure, faulty meters, non-collection of payments, etc.