Power outages today

India's electricity grid: a federal patchwork of state-owned DISCOMs and a few private operators

India does not have a single national electricity distributor. Power distribution is a state subject under the Constitution, so each state runs its own distribution companies (DISCOMs) under its electricity regulatory commission. The Central Electricity Authority and the Ministry of Power coordinate at the national level on grid stability, generation planning and inter-state transfers.

How the 2003 Electricity Act reshaped state electricity boards

Before 2003 most Indian states ran vertically integrated State Electricity Boards covering generation, transmission and distribution. The Electricity Act 2003 mandated the unbundling of these boards into separate entities. Today most states have one to four distribution companies, a transmission company and one or more generation companies. Kerala is one of the few exceptions, where the integrated KSEB Limited still operates all three functions.

The state DISCOMs covered on this page

This page tracks the largest DISCOMs by consumer base and search volume. Each utility has its own page with helpline numbers, network details and the outage patterns that matter most in that state.

• BESCOM — Bangalore and seven Karnataka districts, more than 10 million consumers.
• TNEB — Tamil Nadu, 27 million consumers across 38 districts, operating as TANGEDCO.
• UPPCL — Uttar Pradesh holding company behind four regional DISCOMs.
• MSEDCL — Maharashtra outside the Mumbai core, around 30 million consumers, branded Mahavitaran.
• PSPCL — Punjab, 9.6 million consumers, with a heavy agricultural load profile.
• KSEB — Kerala, the only major state to keep generation, transmission and distribution under one entity.
• DGVCL — south Gujarat including Surat, one of four GUVNL subsidiaries.
• BSES Rajdhani — south and west Delhi, Reliance Infrastructure / Government of Delhi joint venture.
• BSES Yamuna — central and east Delhi, sister utility to BSES Rajdhani.

Why outage patterns differ so widely between Indian states

India's grid faces several recurring causes of unplanned outages, but the mix and severity vary by region. Cyclones dominate on the east and south coasts. Heatwave-driven transformer failures cluster in north India. Monsoon flooding and landslides drive disruptions in Kerala and the Konkan coast. Aging infrastructure is the common thread across rural feeders nationwide.

• Cyclones and tropical storms — Bay of Bengal cyclones (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal) and Arabian Sea cyclones (Gujarat, Maharashtra coast, Kerala) cause some of the longest restoration efforts.
• Summer peak demand — May-July heatwaves push distribution transformers past their ratings, especially in dense urban grids like Delhi and Bangalore.
• Monsoon damage — waterlogged substations, fallen trees on overhead lines and pillar box failures concentrate in June-September.
• Scheduled load shedding — states with rural feeders still issue published load shedding schedules during periods of supply shortfall.
• Planned shutdowns — most DISCOMs publish area-wise maintenance schedules, typically running 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays.

The 1912 toll-free line and how state-level helplines compare

1912 is the national short code for electricity complaints across most Indian states. Calls and SMS to 1912 are routed to the consumer's local DISCOM call centre. Some states layer additional channels on top: dedicated WhatsApp numbers in Kerala, Punjab and Karnataka, missed-call services in Maharashtra, and SMS short codes for outage registration in several others.

Delhi is the main exception: BSES (Rajdhani and Yamuna) uses 19123, while Tata Power Delhi Distribution operates its own helpline.

Mobile networks during a power cut: why your phone may go down too

A sustained power outage typically drains the battery backups at nearby cell towers within a few hours, especially in dense urban areas where multiple towers may share the same feeder. When that happens, mobile data and even voice calls can drop in the affected pocket.

India's main mobile operators are Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL. Each runs its own outage status page and customer app for live network updates.

Practical steps when the lights go out

A few quick checks help identify whether the outage is local to your home or wider.

1. Check the main switch, MCB and any installed inverter or UPS.
2. Look at neighbours' lights and street lamps to confirm whether the cut is in your apartment or your locality.
3. Call 1912 (or 19123 in Delhi) and keep your 12-digit consumer number from the electricity bill handy.
4. Check your DISCOM's mobile app or X handle for restoration timelines if available.
5. Switch off heavy appliances (AC, geyser, water motor) before supply is restored to avoid current surges.