Female Perspectives Raise Revenue for Indian Power Utility

Partner utility BSES Rajdhani Power Limited in India deploys female field staff to improve community relations, reduce electricity theft and illegal connections, and increase revenue.

In 2017 Engendering Utilities’ partner, BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL)—an Indian energy utility—was losing substantial revenue in select neighborhoods of Outer West Delhi. Electricity theft was common in this region, perpetuated by the ease and social normalization of stealing power. To quell revenue losses, power companies across the city began sending law enforcement officers to recover payments, with mixed success. BRPL came up with another strategy, and a successful one: they sent women.

This woman-led initiative increased revenue, strengthened customer relations, changed male perspectives on the roles and capacity of female staff, built the confidence of female employees to pursue new roles, and improved the company’s business outcomes.