Data centers seek distribution licenses, leaving middlemen heavily indebted

20260508 India power

Engineers work on an electricity pylon on the outskirts of the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. © Reuters

BENGALURU — India’s state-owned power distribution companies (discoms) face a growing, two-pronged threat to their revenues, with industrial customers going off grid for relatively cheaper power, and data centers and factories buying from private power companies.