Bengaluru, 26 June

The Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) on Friday said that it has deployed advanced drone technology to inspect high-voltage and extra-high-voltage transmission corridors across the state, resulting in an 85 per cent reduction in transmission-related power outages.

The initiative has enabled the inspection of more than 11,000 transmission towers and over 3,370 km of transmission lines, while helping identify and rectify more than 1.5 lakh technical defects, they said.

According to KPTCL, the drone-based inspections have significantly improved operational efficiency and workforce safety by reducing the need for manual inspections in difficult terrain and high-risk locations.

"Equipped with high-resolution cameras, thermal imaging systems and LiDAR sensors, the drones are capable of carrying out close-range inspections of transmission towers, conductors and insulators passing through dense forests, hilly regions and urban areas," the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited said in a statement.

Officials said the technology allows engineers to detect faults with greater precision than conventional inspection methods.

Thermal imaging cameras identify abnormal heat signatures and hotspots caused by loose electrical connections or deteriorating equipment, enabling preventive maintenance before failures occur, they added.

The Corporation further said that the data collected through drone surveys is being integrated into KPTCL's digital asset management system and will eventually be linked to the corporation's proposed Digital Twin Platform for real-time monitoring of the transmission network from its central control room at the new Energy Bhavan.

It said outage incidents across inspected corridors had come down from 519 to 73, while more than 200 critical defects were rectified through five coordinated batch maintenance windows, minimising service disruptions.

State Energy and Tourism Minister K J George said inspecting Karnataka's nearly 45,000-km transmission network through conventional methods was time-consuming and challenging.

"By deploying drones equipped with thermal imaging and LiDAR technologies, we can now conduct comprehensive 360-degree inspections of transmission assets in a fraction of the time. Achieving an 85 per cent reduction in outages through inspection-led intervention is a major milestone in KPTCL's digital transformation journey," he said.

KPTCL Managing Director V Ram Prasath Manohar said the corporation was shifting from reactive maintenance to a predictive model by identifying and addressing risks before they lead to failures.

"This predictive maintenance model is making Karnataka's transmission grid more resilient and reliable while ensuring uninterrupted power supply to farmers, industries and consumers, besides enhancing the safety of field personnel," he said.