Andhra Pradesh Launches India’s First‑of‑Its‑Kind AI‑Powered Smart Street‑Light Project Covering 1.05 Million Lamps

VISAKHAPATNAM NEWS — Multiple Indian media outlets reported in August 2026 that Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under India’s Ministry of Power, has rolled out India’s first AI‑enabled smart street‑light project in Andhra Pradesh. The initiative will be deployed across 123 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) throughout the state, replacing approximately 1.05 million street‑lights in total: an initial batch of 750 000 units, with an additional 300 000 units to be added in the expansion phase. This marks the official transition of India’s Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) into its next‑generation intelligent phase.

Implemented jointly by EESL and the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA) under the Government of Andhra Pradesh’s Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, the project will be delivered across the state via tripartite agreements to be signed among EESL, CDMA and respective Urban Local Bodies prior to full‑scale roll‑out for the integrated smart LED street‑light scheme.

Under the project design, each street‑light will be fitted with an Independent Light Monitoring (ILM) controller to enable remote on‑off switching, energy consumption metering, fault detection and predictive maintenance. The ILM network will connect to a unified state‑wide centralised monitoring platform offering real‑time surveillance, GIS‑based asset map management, automated alerts, performance analytics and remote operations. EESL estimates that the initial 750 000 smart LED street‑lights alone will deliver annual energy savings of around 19.57 million kWh, cutting power consumption by nearly 20 %.

Note: “AI‑powered” is a media‑coined descriptor for the project. Its core technical backbone is an IoT‑based central monitoring and predictive‑maintenance system built upon ILM controllers.

This project exemplifies the next‑generation upgrade trajectory for India’s SLNP, which integrates smart lighting controls, real‑time monitoring, predictive maintenance and digital asset management. Implemented nationwide by EESL, SLNP ranks among the world’s largest public‑lighting energy‑efficiency programmes. It has replaced more than 13 million conventional street‑lights across India, yielding substantial energy and economic savings.

Project preparatory work was reviewed during a virtual meeting attended by S. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh; P. Sampath Kumar, Commissioner, CDMA; S. Naga Lakshmi, Managing Director of APGenco and APSEEDCO; and Akhilesh Kumar Dixit, Chief Executive Officer of EESL. According to S. Suresh Kumar, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid special emphasis on safeguarding public interest throughout project execution, with project design centred on the core principles of transparency, accountability and efficient utilisation of public resources. To drive on‑the‑ground delivery, high‑level review sessions for regional ULB commissioners were held from 11 to 14 August to deliberate on the implementation framework for the enhanced high‑efficiency smart LED street‑light project.

Akhilesh Kumar Dixit, CEO of EESL, assured the Government of Andhra Pradesh that his organisation would make every effort to complete the project within the scheduled timeline. “It will serve as a national‑level model for smart, high‑efficiency urban street‑lighting in India and bring significant improvements to quality of life for city dwellers.”

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