MR. PANKAJ JAISWAL

"Fluentgrid’s vision to impact a billion lives by 2030 through an integrated approach focused on smart and sustainable solutions across energy, utilities, and smart infrastructure sectors. Our approach involves leveraging cutting-edge technologies like smart grids, IoT, and AI to optimize energy distribution globally, minimize waste, and bolster service reliability."

Q. Can you provide an overview of Fluentgrid Limited’s mission and how the company is contributing to the global movement towards smart grids and smarter cities?

Fluentgrid Limited, established in 1998, specializes in software products and solutions for Power, Water, Gas Utilities, and Smart Cities. Our mission is to alleviate utilities’ challenges, particularly on the revenue and customer fronts, by leveraging technology. Collaborating with domestic and international power utilities, we’ve delivered impactful results, reducing losses, enhancing consumer engagement, and refining operational efficiency through seamless integration. A pivotal achievement was deploying our billing and customer care product, Fluentgrid CIS, on cloud for North India DISCOMs, serving approximately 23 million consumers—the world’s largest such deployment. This initiative introduced an innovative OPEX business model for utility CIS projects in India and set numerous benchmarks. Progressing along the utility solutions value chain, we pioneered smart metering and smart grid solutions. Our Fluentgrid AMI suite contributed significantly to India’s universal smart prepaid metering initiative, deploying 250 million smart meters nationwide. With our advanced UHES and MDMS products, we stand poised to support utilities in maximizing the benefits of this initiative. Leveraging IoT and Analytics capabilities, we developed Actilligence, an Integrated Operations Center platform deployed in smart cities like Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Lucknow, and Bengaluru. Expanding its reach into power utilities and beyond is our ongoing focus. Internationally recognized, our software products feature in research reports and market guides by esteemed firms like Gartner, Frost & Sullivan, Berg Insight and Guidehouse reports. With a global presence across 10 countries, serving over 50+ Utilities & Cities and impacting over 100 million consumers, we’ve established a significant footprint. As a CMMi Level5 company with offices in India, Singapore, and the USA, we’re committed to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), dedicated to fostering a sustainable future. Our vision is continuous innovation and collaboration to propel the global evolution towards smarter, more efficient utilities and cities.

Q. Can you elaborate on Fluentgrid’s utility billing and customer service solution? How does it address revenue losses and improve efficiency for utilities?

Fluentgrid’s CIS (Customer Information System) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions are purpose-built for utility companies, streamlining billing and customer service operations. CIS efficiently manages customer data, billing cycles, and revenue tracking, while CRM focuses on complaint resolution, service orders, and customer communication. These solutions combat revenue losses by ensuring precise billing and payment management. CIS minimizes errors in billing and meter readings, effectively reducing revenue leakage. It also facilitates timely payment tracking, curtailing overdue accounts and potential losses.

Moreover, robust fraud detection capabilities offer protection against revenue loss arising from fraudulent activities. Enhanced efficiency stems from streamlined operations and elevated customer service standards. Automation in billing processes, meter readings, and service requests minimizes manual errors, heightening overall operational efficiency. Fluentgrid’s CRM functionalities expedite complaint resolution, enhancing customer satisfaction and decreasing service-related issues. Comprehensive data analytics empower utilities to make informed decisions, optimizing service offerings and resource allocation, further amplifying efficiency. Fluentgrid’s integrated solutions empower utilities to effectively manage customer-related operations, heighten revenue collection accuracy, and boost overall operational efficiency, ultimately contributing to superior service delivery and heightened customer satisfaction. Our CIS/CRM suite has aided numerous utilities in India and overseas, serving millions of consumers, in streamlining commercial processes and reducing revenue losses. Notably, our nationwide CIS deployments across Asia, Africa, and Europe showcase our commitment. One remarkable achievement was the swift implementation of Fluentgrid CIS® for four power utilities in North India, serving around 23 million consumers in a groundbreaking zero capex cloud SaaS project, completed in nine months. This pioneering initiative has become a global case study, inspiring emulation by other utilities worldwide.

Q. How does Fluentgrid Actilligence™, the technology platform, enhance the capabilities of the Integrated Operations Center?

Fluentgrid Actilligence™, as a technology platform, significantly enhances the capabilities of Integrated Operations Centers (IOCs) by amalgamating diverse smart city elements and utilizing the power of AI/ML. Its prowess lies in enabling seamless digital transformation within these command centers, fostering sustainable and efficient city management. The platform’s AI/ML capabilities empower IOCs by analyzing vast datasets from various city systems, extracting valuable insights, and converting them into actionable intelligence. This functionality aids in making informed decisions that improve city livability while ensuring sustainability. What sets Actilligence apart is its adaptability. While initially tailored for smart cities, its versatility allows implementation in other sectors like Power, Water, Gas Utilities, Sea Ports, Airports, Healthcare, Manufacturing, and more. The platform streamlines centralized operations, simplifying the setup of command and control centers across diverse domains. Notably, Actilligence has already demonstrated its efficacy in smart cities like Visakhapatnam, Lucknow, and Kochi, with implementation at Bengaluru about to go live. Moreover, collaborations with entities such as NTPC, Kahramaa in Qatar, and exploration of new domains signify its potential for broader application and impact across industries worldwide. We are leveraging our Actilligence® platform to establish centralized command and control centers that provide real-time situational awareness by integrating all the city devices and systems. We help them stay connected with citizens through omnichannel engagement. These are the foundational digital transformation projects for a smart city, setting the stage for IoT and AI-led transition to an intelligent, autonomous city of future.

Q.What role does Fluentgrid Utility Operations Center (UOC) play in providing real-time situational intelligence to utilities?

Fluentgrid Utility Operations Center (UOC) serves as a pivotal hub for utilities, leveraging the Actilligence platform to deliver real-time situational intelligence. Its primary role lies in consolidating and analyzing diverse data sources from utility infrastructure, enabling informed decision-making through centralized command and control mechanisms. One key function involves centralized surveillance utilizing advanced video analytics, ensuring enhanced monitoring and security for utility assets. Additionally, the incorporation of computer-aided dispatch facilitates efficient response coordination. The integration of MWM (Mobile Workforce Management) further enhances monitoring capabilities, optimizing resource allocation and operational efficiency. Crucially, Fluentgrid UOC excels in fostering consumer engagement through omnichannel interfaces. This feature enables utilities to stay connected with consumers, enhancing service delivery, and fostering a customer-centric approach. Overall, Fluentgrid UOC stands out as a pioneering system for utilities by offering a comprehensive suite of functionalities, from real-time surveillance to consumer engagement. Its ability to aggregate, analyze, and present data empowers utilities with actionable insights, fostering agility, and informed decision-making in managing their operations effectively.

Q. How does Fluentgrid envision touching a billion lives by 2030 with smarter and sustainable solutions?

Fluentgrid’s vision to impact a billion lives by 2030 through an integrated approach focused on smart and sustainable solutions across energy, utilities, and smart infrastructure sectors. Our approach involves leveraging cutting-edge technologies like smart grids, IoT, and AI to optimize energy distribution globally, minimize waste, and bolster service reliability. Collaborating with governments, utility providers, and communities worldwide, Fluentgrid plans to deploy customized solutions and forge partnerships for knowledge exchange and pilot initiatives. Our aim is to initiate extensive community outreach and educational programs, empowering consumers to make informed choices about energy consumption and conservation. Fluentgrid is committed to expediting the adoption of renewable energy sources by seamlessly integrating them into existing infrastructures. Critical to their mission is ensuring that their solutions remain affordable and accessible, particularly in developing regions. Driven by data-driven insights, continuous innovation, and a steadfast commitment to sustainability, Fluentgrid envisions a future where their smarter, sustainable solutions positively transform and uplift the lives of a billion individuals across the globe by 2030.

Q. How has your company prepared for participating in DistribuElec, considering the range of products and technologies showcased at the event?

Fluentgrid Limited has meticulously prepared for Distribuelec Buildelec Intelect 2024 by showcasing a comprehensive range of cutting-edge products and technologies like AMI, UHES, MDMS, SMOC, RF, Substation Monitoring, OMS and more at Stall #H3D14 in the DistribuElec and Buildelec Hall, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, from January 16th to 18th, 2024. We invite all to experience our innovative solutions firsthand. Our team is excited to engage with visitors, offering insights into our advanced offerings tailored to revolutionize the energy sector. Meet us to explore how our solutions contribute to shaping the future of the Energy and Utilities industry. For more inf