Benchmarking Indian Load Despatch Centres for Excellence and Good Governance: Experience of LDC Excellence Award in India

Load Despatch Centres (LDCs) in India serve as apex bodies ensuring the secure, reliable, and efficient operation of power systems, they play a crucial role in supporting ongoing reforms and the energy transition. This paper outlines the initiatives undertaken by the Forum of Load Despatchers in India to establish LDC Excellence Awards in India. The key objective of these awards was to benchmark the load despatch centres in India and motivate them towards creating institutional arrangements that assist resilience. The assessment framework, considered in this benchmarking exercise is modelled on the balanced scorecard technique, it encompasses key performance indicators for evaluating LDCs based on stakeholder satisfaction, internal processes, future readiness, learning opportunities, and financial prudence. Total thirty-three number of load despatch centres participated in the first year while 41 number of load despatch centres out of 42 participated in the second year. For evaluation, the LDCs were placed in four distinct groups – Regional/National, large, medium, and emerging Load Despatch Centres based on their relative size and complexity of operations. The benchmarking exercise fosters collaboration, allowing LDCs to share best practices and identify areas for improvement, ensuring preparedness for future challenges. One of the underlying objectives of the benchmarking exercise is to improve the efficiency and security of the Indian Power System by ensuring high-quality dispatch operations conducted by the respective LDCs. This paper provides valuable insights into institutional capacity building, particularly beneficial for readers with an interest in this domain.