A Billion Possibilities_The CX Revolution in Indian Utility Industry_SEW

A Billion Possibilities The CX Revolution in Indian Utility Industry



Table of contents 01 A Land of Billions 5.............................................................................................................................. 02 Decoding The Power Landscape ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5-6 03 Water- Some Here, Some There ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 04 The Making of Digital India ..................................................................................................... 8 05 Energy & Water- For the people, by the people ������������������������������������������� 8-9 06 Let’s Paint a Picture....................................................................................................................... 11 07 How an Indian Utility transformed CX for lakhs of its end customers 13-14........................................................................................................................ 08 Charting the Next 15 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� A Billion Possibilities | 3

Foreword Land of 19,500 languages, 664,369 villages, more than 7935 towns/cities, 1,160.52 Million Telecom subscribers, 749.07 Million internet users- building Atmanirbharta is an exciting proposition, one which has a billion possibilities. We are living the dream of building an Atmanirbhar Bharat, or in other words – a ‘self reliant India.’ When we know how we are successfully working towards engaging and empowering billions of people in all aspects of their day-to-day lives, we realize this dream. This transformation is nothing new. From demonetization that transformed the digital payments ecosystem in a matter of days to the events in 2020, where digital changed the way we live, learn, work, socialize, shop, worship, and collaborate, India’s transformation story has witnessed a lot of twists and turns. A similar silent transformation in the Indian energy and water industry is underway – with the role of Energy and Water providers changing every hour. From being providers of commoditized products to becoming the trusted energy- water advisors and playing a crucial role in building the future smart city ecosystem, to ensuring a sustainable India; the energy-water ecosystem in India is preparing for a lift-off – one that is spurred by technology and innovation. Not only this, the passivity in energy-water consumption is fading away and bringing forth active involvement of the end customers. Customers want to track how much they consume, save, raise complaints, and more. They are asking a lot of how- what-which-and when questions. And utilities need to be able to answer them. They need to prepare for all these changes. This is a cultural shift that would not come easy; it requires openness, agility in response, thoughtfulness, and nimble structures. It requires all the stakeholders to work together. It requires a vision. What you will read next is about this change in India’s utility landscape and the factors at work. We hope you find this an insightful read. Deepak Garg Founder/CEO Smart Energy Water (SEW) 4 | A Billion Possibilities

A Land of Billions Making of an Energy-Water Powerhouse. A Nation that leads. India- A land of Billions. Billion Ideas. Billion Innovations. Billion Possibilities. There is not one adjective that can qualitatively describe India and its people. It is diverse and complex. And this complexity is mirrored in the everyday lives of Indians. We know India as a nation rooted in culture and history, one that is continually innovating and set to dictate the future. Innovation that made Pushpak Vimaan back in the age of Ramayan to Mangalyan in the 21st century, India’s scientific prowess is well known to the world. Similar is the story of the energy and water ecosystem in India. It is the story of reverence and innovation. To date, these essential commodities are personified as deities and worshipped every day. The Panchtatva- Akash, Vayu, Agni, Jal, and Prithvi, are prayed to, so there is a subconscious submission to better energy and water management. How billions handle and manage these resources will undoubtedly have ramifications that the world witnesses. Marry this with the digital age, and we would see a big bang revolution. How India learns, adapts, and manages its energy and water, therefore, has a global audience. And this story, as it unfolds, will get more interesting. Hence - A Billion Possibilities. Decoding The Power Landscape Life in India comes with its own set of challenges. Providing adequate energy and water to billions is a Sisyphean task; any progress reveals another set of complications. From limited supply, aging infrastructure, theft, regulations, oversight and control to sustainable usage, each of these challenges makes life harder for millions. However, they reveal the opportunity areas and open new doors for innovation to come in and add efficiencies. The transformation has begun. A Billion Possibilities | 5

India’s power sector is one of the most Howsoever many miles to go, we have witnessed diversified in the world. Sources of how far India has come. Paradoxically, studies generation include conventional sources consistently reveal that India’s wider electricity like coal, lignite, natural gas, oil, hydro and coverage does not automatically equate to nuclear power to non-conventional sources higher rates of adoption and consistent use. like wind, solar, and domestic waste. The That is another story. The news of days-long Indian Government has set ambitious goals outages and erratic supply is not new, resulting such as building the electricity capacity of in only 60% of electric grid-users satisfied with 550 GW by 2022 and is working towards the DISCOMs’ services. having the world’s largest installations A lot of work needs to be done in realizing of clean energy. Significant steps have the United Nations Sustainable Development been taken to renovate the power supply Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy to ensure infrastructure, and the sector has an access to affordable, reliable, and modern investment potential of $223.67 billion in energy for all. And there lies the digital the next 4 to 5 years. opportunity. Between 2000 and 2016, half a billion people gained access to electricity in 2020 India, increasing the share of grid-electrified households from 43% to 82%. Energy use has doubled since 2000, with 80% of demand still being met by coal, oil and solid biomass 2016 2000 2011 The pace of electrification also rapidly increased, with 40 million people coming on-grid each year since 2011. An expanding economy, population, urbanisation and industrialisation mean that India sees the largest increase in energy demand of any country 6 | A Billion Possibilities

Water- Some Here, Some There For a nation that houses glaciers in the north to oceans in the south, the water story is desolate. Year on year, there is news of rampant floods and droughts, perishing millions. As essential to life, the Indian economy also rests on its water resources. Imagine when 50% of the 30 Indian metros and Tier 1 cities are nations’ population survives under ‘high risk’ and face the looming on agriculture and does threat of zero-water days. If this is rock not get proper access bottom, then the situation can only to water. improve from here. There is a growing realization among people, government, According to the UN-Water and businesses to start managing their Index, over 120 million water properly. The conversations have households in India lack access started; how we amplify and ignite to safe water. The situation action remains. threatens to worsen further, with India’s overall population Furthermore, the Indian government expected to touch 1.6 billion has introduced a series of initiatives by 2050. to create awareness about water conservation, including the Jal Jeevan By 2030, India’s water demand Mission, which promotes water is projected to be twice the conservation in 256 of India’s most available supply, implying water-stressed districts. The ‘Jal Shakti’ severe water scarcity for ministry also aims to provide piped hundreds of millions of people water supply to every household and an eventual 6 percent loss by 2024 and fight India's water woes. in the country's GDP. Acknowledging the challenges is the first step, then comes innovation. There’s a water-future in making, where different stakeholders need to partner, innovate and take steps to build a more secure and sustainable water-future for billions. A Billion Possibilities | 7

The Making of Digital India A lot of forces acting together, In India, smartphone and digital in India came like users are estimated a tsunami. Now projected to to reach over 820 Mn become a trillion-dollar digital in 2022, with 1 Bn economy by 2025, India is placing internet users by the huge bets on its initiatives like year 2025. Digital India, Aadhaar, GSTN, and Smart Cities, providing a significant boost to the country’s digital transformation drive. A lot of industries have been and are transforming. Power and Utilities being in the latter case. One of the prime drivers has been mobile and internet penetration. This represents a massive opportunity for both consumers and businesses. The booming of the app economy, digital communications, digital payments, etc., have changed the businesses-customer relations drastically in the last five years; set to change even further in the next five. Case in point, the digital push from covid-19 has resulted in not only the digital natives but people in the older age brackets adopting and sticking to digital platforms. This digitalization of the Indian economy comes with unique possibilities to create, capture, and deliver value; making a case for marrying digital with the energy-water ecosystem in India. Energy & Water- For the people, by the people As digital forces collide, innovations rise, and inefficiencies are swallowed up. Like the tectonic plates, power and utilities in India are evolving with time and pressure. Piggybacking on the foundation of new digital India, utilities next evolution is underway and set to overcome challenges plaguing them. This transformation has multitude dimensions with pressures coming from technology, regulatory, customer to environment. 8 | A Billion Possibilities

Indian Energy-Water Transformation Business Customer Performance optimization new Increased expectations, business models, disruption, digital energy and changing revenue models water management Data Technology Asset overview, data Internet of things, smart grid, insights (analytics) for smart metering, digital utility, data optimization, operations, analytics, tailored clouds AI/ML. customer and workforce Regulatory engagement Regulatory challenges, environmental regulations, Competition Changing competition rules, smart utility policies smart utility emergence, Innovation Resources increased customer demands New value chains, new customer Limited natural resources, offerings and pricing models, sustainability, climate. smart homes and EV management To adapt, think of scenarios where utilities leverage data-driven supply/demand matching, enabling distributed energy resources (DER), predicting asset maintenance based on asset condition and criticality, remotely managing field-force, optimizing grid planning and water infrastructure, streamlining emergency response to outages and storms, and much more. When closely analyzed and evaluated, the entire value chain has applications of digital technologies that reveal new efficiencies. A Billion Possibilities | 9

The digital utility of the future captures opportunities all along the value chain Distributed Data-driven Smart grid and Customer Platform energy resources asset strategies smart pipes interactions supports distributed enabled by big including allow automated governed data-driven preventative and controls to by anaylsis energy alignment of condition-based of customer resources and supply and improve network journeys, marketplaces demand maintenance resilliency, segmentation, and predicitve safety, and and personalized efficiency communication outage Back-office Field workforce with High level of Integration of automation mobile access to situational renewables e.g solar- and data-driven maps, data, work- awareness to enable digitization of production decision making energy balancing management tools, and consumption and real-time expertise One such opportunity lies in unraveling how to better connect and serve people. New CX norms have emerged and risen like the Himalayas—Google, Amazon, and Uber come to mind. The convenience offered by these giants has changed the definition of customer service. With power and water consumers in India expecting the same level of service they receive from their bank, online store, and telecom provider. They want it for better management of their energy and water; they want it for better communication. After all, they are now living in an ecosystem that gives them this flexibility. When a person can track where their food order is, raise a complaint about a late delivery, why not seek the same convenience when his power goes out or water pipe gets burst. There’s a reason why only 43% customers in India are satisfied with their utility’s complaint resolution process and 62% customers satisfied with utility staff service. No longer will these billion people tolerate poor service. Let’s deep dive into how power and water utilities in India can ride on the ongoing digital revolution to create a better CX and become future-ready. 10 | A Billion Possibilities

Let’s Paint a Picture The first step to building the new age CX is to find a starting point. Finding answers to questions like What is your customer experience today? How does it compare with other utility players? More importantly, how does it compare with customers' expectations? When we start listing down, some obvious asks come up: • Ability to manage billing and payments, • Ability to raise service requests, track online progress, and connect with field workers • 24/7 Connectivity for query resolution • Self service for online utility account • Proactive communication and management notifications across channels And so on. Next step is to paint a picture of a future energy-water customer. We are looking at a customer who has omnichannel communication support, gets personalized offers for saving energy and water, is able to manage its smart home and electric vehicle, gets detailed home energy and water reports, tracks and optimizes energy and water usage, has access to online marketplace to buy efficient products, has the best mobile experience, and so on. Over the next ten years the utility customer... Key questions for utilities Will be digital, • Social media • Are we prepared for the connected, mobile customer? connected, and social • Mobile connectivity • How do we better engage with our smart meter- • Smart meter-enabled Will demand-and • Big data enabled customer? receive-greater choice • How will we manage and extract insights from an • Choice of Supply Will be empowered • New products and avalanche of data? with information and the ability to self- services • What options and choices-energy supply, green manage usage • Payment options solutions, payment options-should we make available • “Green” choices to our customers in the future? • Self service • What new products and services should we offer, and • Instant information how do we innovate, manage, and build a portfolio of services? access • Tools and guidance • How will the customer of the future interact with us? • How do we provide instant access to information that to manage energy and water our future customers will expect and demand? • What tools shoul we make available to empower our customers? Will demand a better • Ont-to-onr • How do we deliver an experience that is on par with overall experience engagement other services our customers enjoy? Will adopt • Customer • How do we improve brand health as our customers’ technologies that will satisfaction needs change? impact the energy infrastructure • Customer loyalty/ • As customers have more alternatives, how do we drive defections loyalty? • Distributed • As customers adopt new tchnologies, how do we generation ensure we can meet demand and maintain service levels? • Net metering • Electric vehicles • What is our strategy for smart energy technologies? • Smart Home • What is our play (if any) “behind the meter?” Management A Billion Possibilities | 11

Embracing the always available digital, tech-savvy customers “I expect to be offered what i Creating a consistently rewarding want, when and how i want it.” customer experience can feel a lot like bailing water out of a sinking “I’m up at 3 am, why aren’t you?” ship. The CX needs to be personalized and re-imagined for every customer “I’m lost without my mobile.” across all touchpoints. Today;s customer is always available, which means they expects ample choices, relevance, security and simplicity, in real time. They demand a connected experience where their expectations are consistently met—across multiple digital and physical channels 24x7. For energy and water providers, meeting these expectations requires an enterprise-wide transformation focused on three areas: creating a customer-centric journey, achieving business agility, and implementing a cutting-edge technology platform. Light’s Out They contact the power company from their app and complaint Hours-long Power Outage impacts about the unplanned outage their home in New Delhi, but Anita The utility contacts and Aman are prepared. How? them and sends a field worker for investigation They track the worker location from the app and get real-time updates The outage is restored and they submit the feedback from their app. They are enrolled in alerts for future outages 12 | A Billion Possibilities

Case Study 38 Districts, 28 Lakh Customers, 1 unified Digital CX Platform In order to succeed and survive the current CX Innovation digital landscape, the state-holding electricity board needed to embrace digital transformation and tap into disruptive technologies - IoT, Data analytics, Automation, Cloud and Mobility. To help meet these goals, the utility adopted SEW’s Enable new customer strategies Smart Customer Mobile (SCM®) as Bihar Bijli Smart Make a digital shift, in the shortest Meter- integrated with a modern CIS environment time possible to reshape the way they think about technology, data, new customer habits, new services, and Proactive, and more-responsive customer service. SCM® offered them with ways workforce to address emerging customer challenges and New and more profitable customer exploit opportunities to completely rethink the relationships way they conducted business. The new CIS system would deliver an integrated customer relationship management solution, reduce costs, streamline operations, and provide quality service to their customers. Adoption SCM®, enabled a shift from an outdated setting to a modern mode. The feature- rich customer mobile application, providing digital capabilities to lakhs of customers, offered: • Web Portal and Mobile App - Customer-facing web portal and mobile app for Google Android • Utility Customer Service Portal - Utility-facing Admin Portal • Notifications and Alerts - Configurable to each customer’s preferences Bihar Bijli Smart Meter by Smart Energy Water (SEW) allowed their residential customers to have access to information anytime, anywhere. Through the platform, the end -customers received a one-stop solution for managing their bill payments, and usage. They could also easily sign-in and manage their online account, make payments via credit card or bank account, receive notifications via multiple delivery channels, track / compare usage, and manage their queries online – all available through the convenience of a mobile app and customer portal. Some of the key benefits realized are - A user-friendly digital platform with robust self-service capabilities 24/7 digital connectivity and real-time communication across various channels Qualitative improvements in customer service operations and increased satisfaction rates Agile & data-driven decision making with a 360-degree view of all customer touchpoints Reduced call volumes and cost of customer service operations Removal of operational inefficiencies and transparent query resolution A Billion Possibilities | 13

Case Study India’s Largest City-Gas Distributor Successfully Adopts Digital Platforms to Redefine Customer Service About Customer Background and Objectives India’s largest City Gas Distribution player with more The natural gas industry in India is now at the forefront of digital than 24,000 kms. of the gas pipeline network and disruption. Driven by the high expectations of digital natives, who expect to supplies natural gas to over 14,50,000 residents, do business at their convenience, and customer’s desire for omnichannel 2 lakh CNG vehicles/per day, and 3700 industrial communication has forced the traditional natural gas companies to rethink customers. The distributor is committed to reaching the way they craft customer experiences (CX). out to every natural gas user across the country and To stay ahead & deliver on its digital vision, the gas provider needed is strategically aligned to energize India’s natural an intuitive and easy-to-use digital platform. The digital intervention gas vision. would include end-to-end capabilities to support their evolving business challenges, deliver digital customer experiences, and provide a technology Platform Deployed solution for meeting their objective of catering to every PNG & CNG user SAP Self Service Accelerator (SSA) for Utilities by SEW across the country. Digital CX Journey with Smart Energy Water The gas provider adopted SAP Self Service Accelerator for Utilities by SEW, which propelled the company to achieve its business objectives. The platform provides the end-users with configurable modules that allow them to pay their bills online, analyze their gas usage, schedule service requests, receive real-time alerts, raise & track complaints, get efficiency tips - all with the convenience of a single integrated mobile app & customer portal. Easy Customer Registration and Login – Customers can easily register using either Customer ID or Meter No. and OTP Based Authentication. Seamless logins are supported with Fingerprint-based Authentication, and a Remember Me Option Digital Account Management - Provides the ability to add and edit customer profile information such as customer name, address, phone number, email, etc. Users can manage multiple accounts with a single user ID and provide guest user access. Usage Tracking and Comparison - Allows customers to analyze periodic consumption and historical comparisons. Customers can view the consumption and meter reading history and submit Meter Reading. Billing and Payments- Customer can view current gas bill, make payments via different available modes, view billing and payment history, and raise billing related queries. Notifications and Alerts- Message center records the correspondence between customers and the utility via messages such as alerts, billing, login issues, etc., through email, text, and IVR. Connect Me- Real-time two-way communication platform between the utility & customers. Enables a single click option for the customer to contact customer service. Service Management - Allows customers to submit service requests for Extra Geyser point, Extra Kitchen point Temporary Disconnection, Name Change, alteration/modification request, termination, and Temporary Disconnection Renewal. Status can be tracked for submitted service requests. New Connection Request - Allows customers to submit a New Connection Request via few clicks. Efficiency – The module offers customers safety & efficiency tips on PNG and CNG Footprint – Provides the customer with an easy way to locate utility’s CNG stations, offices, CNG kit suppliers, cylinder testing centers. Value Deliver personalized user experiences Delivered Drive digital self-service with mobile-first strategy Increase customer savings With the platform, Reduce call volume, customer care expense and cost-to-serve the gas provider is Enhance utility-customer communication and improve customer service by simplifying customer communications across the board empowered to: Track online payments and service requests status Increase the number of customers choosing online bill paying, reducing receivables time and collection costs Convert more customers to clean and green fuel using a savings calculator Improve customer satisfaction through better, faster communication channels Shorten customer wait times in billing and payment inquiries 14 | A Billion Possibilities

Charting the Next The land of Saare Jahan Se Acha- India is at an inflection The connected utility customers are point—digital technologies have changed the way Indians morphing into connected citizens, communicate, socialise, create, sell, shop and work. The that’s where innovation is heading next important question is to ask how these billion people towards. And that’s what Indian utilities build a sustainable world- how these billion people use have to prepare for. The future smart their energy and water- how these billion people can be energy-water ecosystem will embrace engaged, educated, and empowered. One of the important all aspects of smart energy, smart cogs in this forward moving wheel are the stakeholders in water, smart mobility, smart homes, India’s energy and water ecosystem. How this ecosystem and smart governments- having the transforms, by keeping people at its center is watch-worthy. connected customer at its center. Smart Energy Smart Mobility Smart Water • Smart Grid Automation & Flexible • EV Charging Infrastructure • Distribution Management Distribution & Supervision Services & Leak Detection • Smart Metering Management & • Traffic Management • Power, Control & Security • Tolling & Congestion Demand Response • Integrated Mobility Systems Integration • Renewables Integration & Micro Grid • Stormwater Management • Real-Time Smart Grid Software Suite • Public Transit • Gas Distribution Management • Traveler Information And Urban Flooding • Energy efficiency • Water conservation • AI/ML Analytics Smart Connections Smart Public Services Smart Buildings & Homes • Power, Security, Building, IT & Process • Public Safety • High-Performance Management Systems Integrated • Video Surveillance Buildings Architecture • Emergency Management • Energy Efficiency & • Integrated City Management Platform Security Soutions • Security systems & Management • Digital City Services • Energy Services • Energy & Environment Management • egovernment Information System • Education • Efficient Homes • Healthcare • Home Energy • Tourism Management • Street Lighting • Connection To The Management Smart Grid Charting the next will be determined by the continued focus on fostering innovation, developing unique service offerings and enabling the digital infrastructure in the country. India is poised to be a game- changer in the world’s energy-water future empowering its citizens. A Billion Possibilities in the Making A Billion Possibilities | 15

About Smart Energy Water Smart Energy Water, with its innovative and industry-leading cloud platforms, delivers the best Digital Customer Experiences (CX) and Workforce Experiences (WX), powered by AI, ML, and IoT Analytics to the global energy, water, and gas providers. At SEW, the vision is to Engage, Empower, and Educate billions of people to save energy and water. We partner with businesses to deliver platforms that are easy-to-use, integrate seamlessly, and help build a strong technology foundation that allows them to become future-ready. L o g ix C y b e r P a rk , C -2 8 /2 9 , B lo c k -C , S e c to r 6 2 , N o id a , U P 2 0 1 3 0 1 (0 1 2 0 ) 4 2 0 8 5 2 8 | in fo @ S E W .a i w w w .S E W .a i