Odisha Discoms rope in local vendors for equipment supply, operational & commercial services to support ‘Make in Odisha’

• Working with nearly 2000 local vendors and over 700 MSMEs covering all 30 districts of Odisha, generating livelihood opportunities for over 40,000 locals

• Have established preferential norms to procure at least 20% of the total volume of the procurement from MSMEs registered in the State of Odisha

• Cover diverse range of services and supply domains, from materials such as Distribution Transformers, Cables, Poles, LT & HT Hardware to technical and administrative jobs

Bhubaneswar, September 25, 2023:  TP Odisha Discoms, a joint venture between Tata Power and Government of Odisha, have been working closely with over 700 MSMEs and nearly 2000 local vendors in the state covering all 30 districts for various business endeavours. The four discoms, namely- TP Central, TP Southern, TP Northern and TP Western Odisha Distribution Limited have also established preferential norms to procure at least 20 percent of the total volume of its entire procurement from local vendors. This policy has helped in generating employment opportunities for over 40,000 local people and support the Make in Odisha vision of the State Government.

These businesses represent a diverse range of services and supply domains, from materials such as Distribution Transformers, Cables, Poles, LT & HT Hardware, laptops, desktops etc. to technical jobs such as meter installation, billing, collection, call centre operations, meter reading, including administrative jobs such as housekeeping, catering etc.

Commenting on this Mr Sanjay Banga, President -T&D, Tata Power said “Odisha is emerging as the fastest growing industrial hub. TP Odisha Discoms are aligned with the government’s vision of Make in Odisha and are steadfast in their commitment to provide world-class electricity infrastructure for the development of the state. The local vendors are crucial partners in this journey and are playing an important role in supplying power distribution equipment, necessary IT infra and managing essential on ground services. Together, we are committed to support ease of doing business in the state.”

Being an equal opportunity provider, TP Discoms follow an open and transparent policy for selecting all vendors. To enhance Odisha MSME participation, preferential norms for Odisha MSMEs are an integral part of all tenders.

TP Discoms aim to explore and establish fruitful associations with MSMEs operating in Odisha. Discoms prefer to award majority of supply & services works to local Business Associates (BAs) giving appropriate considerations to the tender terms, tender qualification status etc. and have also been encouraging their business partners to employ maximum number of locals, based on the required skillsets.

To provide business associates and vendors a forum for discussion and to address their queries and concerns, discoms have also been organising MSME meets.