Milestone Event "Lights The Way" for India

January 28, 2005

NEW DELHI - Indian Minister of Power P.M. Sayeed on Thursday, January 27, 2005 launched the next step in a $30 million (Rs. 130.6 crores) collaboration between the U.S. and India that will bring light and opportunity to millions of people across India.

The event marked the first of many training programs aimed at thousands of power utility professionals, supported by the bilateral Distribution Reform, Upgrades and Management (DRUM) effort.

DRUM will train 25,000 electric utility personnel on commercial, technical, safety and management aspects of electricity distribution to increase commercial viability in the power sector. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of India are cooperating in a broad effort to demonstrate that commercially viable power utilities are key to meeting consumer needs and expanding supply for India's burgeoning power requirements.

Four training programs inaugurated on Thursday - targeted at junior and middle managers at distribution utilities - focus on commercial practices, management techniques and ways to minimize losses of power within the system.

According to William Martin, Acting Mission Director for USAID India, India is moving smartly to ambitiously address power and water shortages. The U.S. welcomes the opportunity to collaborate on ways to expand access to electricity in cities and villages.

Other aspects of the bilateral effort include improving power grid infrastructure and boosting use of clean technologie