Two smallcap proxy stocks in the national smart meter theme

livemint.com:

fascinating documentary called Katiyabaaz at the Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI). At the time, I had no idea what it was about. Later, I learned that the title translates to "electricity thief," a fitting description for its subject matter.

The film is set in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where long power cuts and load-shedding lasting over 12 hours were common. The desperate need for electricity gave rise to people like Loha Singh, a local fixer who provided illegal connections by tapping into the official power supply. Singh became a local hero, a modern-day Robin Hood who risked his life to bring relief from the sweltering heat and power cuts, helping the less privileged.

Of course, residents were more than willing to pay for his services. Katiyabaaz was shot over two years, following real characters, including local fixers and officials from the Kanpur Electric Supply Co. (Kesco), who suffered significant financial losses due to these illegal connections.

The film deservedly received glowing reviews, both in India and at international film festivals. It brought life to a dry subject—a nationwide issue—by infusing humor and candid conversations that resonated with anyone who has experienced daily power cuts in a tier 2 town. Despite the attention the documentary brought to the issue, more than a decade later, not much has changed.

India’s power industry continues to grapple with power theft and infrastructural inefficiencies, leading to significant losses for power and distribution companies and a frustrated public. The average annual technical and commercial losses are estimated at 34%. Could smart meters be the solution to this persistent problem? Introduced in July 2021, the National Smart Metering Scheme aims to install 250