Smart Grid Observatory’s inception is rooted in the broader framework of the EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership — a joint initiative aimed at fostering cooperation on sustainable energy transitions. The journey began in 2020, when the EU-India High-Level Platform on Smart Grids was established as a forum for dialogue, innovation, and policy exchange. This platform laid critical groundwork, bringing together diverse stakeholders from both regions to identify synergies and priorities for smart grid development in India.

One of its key early outcomes was the development of the ‘Smart Grid Replication Handbook for India’, a pioneering document that offered a practical, scalable roadmap for implementing smart grid projects across the country. This handbook was more than a technical guide—it symbolised a collective intent to scale innovation and knowledge in the Indian power sector.

Recognising the need for an ongoing, structured platform to support implementation, the idea of a dedicated Smart Grid Observatory – India (SGO) was born. Officially launched in 2023 under the EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership, and in close collaboration with the EU Delegation to India and the National Smart Grid Mission, the SGO emerged as an open digital platform. Its primary goal: to accelerate India’s grid transformation through advanced technologies, policy dialogues, and evidence-based knowledge sharing.

The initiative is chaired by FSR Global, and serves as a bridge between technical excellence and institutional action, gathering insights from across India and Europe to build a more resilient and digitally integrated power grid.

As the energy transition deepens, SGO is now entering its Phase 2, which marks a decisive shift from dialogue to deployment. The next phase focuses on the development of the India Energy Stack — a visionary digital architecture for the energy sector that mirrors the success of India's fintech stack.

At the heart of this phase is the implementation of Proofs of Concept (PoCs) that will demonstrate the transformative potential of smart digital solutions in real-world grid scenarios. To guide this ambitious agenda, the Ministry of Power is forming a dedicated digitalisation task force composed of experts from both the technology and electricity sectors.

Further strengthening institutional commitment, a REC Limited is appointed as the nodal agency to operationalise and drive the SGO Phase 2 outcomes whereas FSR Global continues in its role of Knowledge Partner.

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