Ms. Meenakshi Vashist (Founder-CEO, TekUncorked) gave an interview to Electronics Era Magazine and talked about TekUncorked as a company, her journey with it and their award winning LVIoT product to combat grid losses and accelerate the decarbonization of power grids.
Electronics Era: Explain TekUncorked as a company in brief, its vision and achievements?
Meenakshi: Fueled by the vision which addresses the critical need of reliable, outage free electricity for all, TekUncorked set out to revolutionize the electricity landscape by using emerging technologies. This endeavor gave birth to our game-changing innovation, LVIoT, a transformative force propelling the power networks into the AI-IoT era. Our journey towards this vision has been punctuated by remarkable achievements and significant milestones. While seed grants from Microsoft, Hartron, Qualcomm and Zoho propelled us forward in our journey, our commitment to sustainable energy solutions earned us accolades as winner of UN Habitat’s Katowice Energy Challenge, ElectronVibe and a place in the Third Derivative Cohort of 2022.
Electronics Era: How you got an Idea to start this company?
Meenakshi: The spark for founding TekUncorked ignited during a life-changing trek to Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. Departing from a comfortable corporate role, I found myself in a lush green forest, where a woman’s arduous task of carrying firewood highlighted the stark struggle for a basic necessity: Power. The small solar panel donated by the government had brought a glimmer of hope, allowing the residents to stay connected to the outside world through a small radio. However, it failed to provide the electricity required to meet their daily needs. It greatly affected their economic activities, healthcare and their day to day life. My journey unfolded further, spanning over 20,000 km across India. Engaging with academia, grassroots ventures, industry experts, and utilities unveiled the intricate web of power distribution challenges. This expedition, rich in revelations, bestowed upon us not just a responsibility, but a resolute calling. Thus, TekUncorked, propelled by the urgency to mend power distribution fissures, simplify complexities, and kindle light in lives shadowed by energy shortages.
Electronics Era: Explore in brief the features of LVIoT platform to eliminate grid losses and help decarbonize the grid?
Meenakshi: TekUncorked LVIoT platform is a transformative solution designed to combat grid losses and accelerate the decarbonization of power grids. The Low Voltage Internet of Things (LVIoT) platform is a sophisticated solution that leverages IoT technology and advanced data analytics to effectively address grid losses and drive the decarbonization of power grids. Through real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, load balancing, and voltage regulation, LVIoT optimizes energy distribution, minimizes inefficiencies, and enhances grid stability. Despite the proliferation of renewable energy, over 60% of electricity generation still depends on fossil fuels. TekUncorked’s LVIoT technology, by eliminating grid losses, reduces the need for adding power generation capacity. This effectively leads to reduction of the carbon footprint of the grid helping in decarbonizing the grid.
Electronics Era: How’s your journey with TekUncorked, your achievements and challenges that you faced in this journey so far?
Meenakshi: In just four remarkable years since our inception in 2019, we’ve embarked on an electrifying journey, forging strong alliances with five leading utility providers in India. Along this path, we’ve illuminated the way forward with successful field deployments. As we stand at this juncture, our commitment to revolutionizing the power utility landscape burns brighter than ever. Few Challenges not just we but our society as a whole are facing where access to reliable and affordable energy remains a challenge for many, especially in developing regions. Addressing energy poverty and ensuring equitable access to modern energy services is crucial for sustainable development and social well-being.
The next major problem is the aging Infrastructure. Many power grids and energy infrastructures in various countries are aging and in need of upgrades. Finally, the growing demand for energy, especially in urban areas and during peak periods, poses serious problems in our power infrastructure. These are the challenges we as a nation need to overcome and we hope as an organization we are working in the right path to mitigate these issues.
Electronics Era: As there are various providers in the market with the same profile, how is your product, solution & technology different from them?
Meenakshi: TekUncorked LVIoT platform is a dynamic AI-IoT framework designed to adapt and evolve alongside the evolving power utility landscape. Ruggedness, self-healing capabilities, and in-field auto-upgradability, makes the TekUncorked Smart Edge IoT devices suitable for the harsh utility environment. The powerful AI Engine utilizes multi-site data analysis and correlation to detect grid anomalies, forecast faults and actuates to self-heal the grid. Designed to be a digital backbone of the distribution grid, LVIoT is a digital grid framework rather than a point solution, unlike a lot of other competitive solutions in the market.
Electronics Era: According to you, what is the impact of new-age technologies in reducing carbon footprint and how TekUncorked plays an instrumental role in this?
Meenakshi: The invention of the Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most significant technological advances of the 21st century. The LVIoT (Low Voltage- IoT) device helps with efficient management of last mile distribution networks with higher efficiency and minimizing losses.
TekUncorked with its disruptive technology and capability has the potential to catalyze a significant impact within the energy sector by curbing energy demand derived from coal, ultimately leading to a substantial reduction in transmission losses. This concerted effort translates into a direct diminution of additional emissions that ensue from energy transmission inefficiencies. Our innovative approach holds the promise of not only enhancing energy conservation but also contributing to a greener and more sustainable energy landscape.
Electronics Era: What are the TekUncorked efforts in solving issues in last-mile electricity distribution and power theft?
Meenakshi: Inefficient transmission and distribution systems contribute to technical and commercial losses during power transmission. The national average of transmission and distribution losses stood at 21.09%, two times higher than the global average highlighting the need for improvements in infrastructure and distribution management. Another sensitive topic, is that much of the losses that distribution companies face is power theft. In the period 2021-2022, there was an estimated loss of around INR 157 crores due to theft! Less than half of that was recovered. Consumers tamper with meters in a number of ways including bypassing them altogether. Technology – smart technology – is the only path to tread on the journey to improving India’s many energy challenges. It can better manage grid infrastructure; mitigate inefficiencies; ensure reliable last-point delivery and reduce outages. It can reduce maintenance and labour costs.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine learning (ML) algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data related to energy consumption, weather patterns, and energy thefts. LVIoT is not just a solution for improving efficiency but also a powerful tool in curbing energy theft. Its combination of real-time monitoring, data analytics, pattern recognition, and remote control empowers utilities to detect, prevent, and mitigate instances of energy theft, ultimately contributing to a fair and sustainable energy distribution system.
Electronics Era: What are your future market plans for India?
Meenakshi: As we look ahead to the future, TekUncorked is excited to embark on several initiatives to further expand and strengthen our presence in the market. We plan to focus on developing and promoting sustainable solutions that align with the global shift towards green technologies and contribute to a cleaner, greener future.
Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We will continue to prioritize their needs and feedback, actively seeking to understand their challenges and preferences and achieve the right product-market-fit. We are also investing in talent development, providing opportunities for professional growth and an innovative workplace. We are confident that our dedication to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction will pave the way for a bright and prosperous future.
