Bescom turns smart with innovation centre

In a first in the country, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) has set up a Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) at its head office to elicit suggestions from people and improve services.

The TIC has been set up in the head office at KR Circle at a cost of Rs two crore. People can give suggestions to Bescom on how to improve its services and get recognised. According to Bescom officials, this is for the first time such a facility has come up in a government agency across India.

In fact, Bescom is on a revamp mode. The company, in a bid to increase efficiency, is hiring techies under its Information Technology and Smart Grid brigade.

A senior Bescom official told Deccan Herald that the company, on an average, would receive around 25 - 30 suggestions from people every month but none would be accounted for. However, after creation of the TIC all suggestions would be recorded and the best would be rewarded.

The core team comprises AGM (IT), Bescom Anil D' Souza, IISc professor and former VTU vice-chancellor  H P  Khincha and President of India Smart Grid Forum Reji Pillai, the official said.

The team will enable implementation of solutions which reduce energy wastage, inventory, footprint on real estate which will enable increased uptime, improved aesthetics, easy adaptability, fast implement ability, flexibility and scalability.

The benefit of the TIC will be tangible and non-tangible like customer satisfaction, increase in Bescom revenue collection, reduction in technical and financial losses among others, the Bescom official explained.