India power companies strained as big users source own electricity
Energy
Data centers seek distribution licenses, leaving middlemen heavily indebted
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.
