NEW DELHI: Vi Business, the enterprise arm of telecom service provider Vodafone Idea, has expanded its Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) portfolio by introducing Smart Gas Metering solutions for City Gas Distribution (CGD) companies.
Vi Business, which deployed India’s first smart energy meters in 2018, is now bringing its Internet of Things (IoT) and AMI expertise to the fast-growing natural gas sector. The company says this move will support the government’s efforts to modernise the country’s utility systems and promote digital metering.
“Digital metering is reshaping how utilities operate, and Smart Gas Metering is the next frontier in India’s utility transformation. With our proven IoT and AMI expertise, we are committed to supporting CGD operators to modernise their networks, reduce inefficiencies, and deliver better service outcomes by reducing unaccounted gas and enhancing revenue assurance. Vi Business will continue to enable India’s utility sector with scalable and future-ready solutions,” said Arvind Nevatia, Chief Enterprise Business Officer of Vi.
Vi’s new Smart Gas Metering solution uses Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) technology to offer reliable communication for gas meters. It aims to help CGD operators improve billing accuracy, detect issues faster, and run their operations more efficiently.
The company, in a press note, said that according to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), the CGD sector is expected to become India’s biggest natural gas consumer by the end of this decade, using nearly one-third of the total gas volume. As demand rises, CGD companies are looking for solutions to reduce Lost and Unaccounted Gas (LUAG) caused by leakage, theft, manual billing errors, and pilferage.