HPL Electric & Power Ltd (HPL), a leading player in India’s electric equipment and smart meter industry, has unveiled the country’s first “Wirepas Certified In-meter Gateway” in partnership with Wirepas, a global IoT connectivity provider. The innovative product leverages RF mesh technology to enhance advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), addressing the shortcomings of traditional gateways while ensuring uninterrupted power supply for consumers.
The newly launched gateway is compact, cost-effective, and easy to install, eliminating the need for special permits. HPL, which boasts an annual production capacity of 10 million smart meters, plans to roll out this solution across India before expanding to international markets.
Streamlining Smart Meter Deployment
Rishi Seth, Managing Director of HPL, highlighted the significance of the innovation, stating, “By integrating a fully certified gateway directly into the smart meter, we simplify deployment for utilities, especially in areas with unreliable cellular coverage. This ensures consistent data collection, reduces ownership costs, and has the potential to transform India’s AMI landscape.”
Teppo Hemiä, CEO of Wirepas, emphasized the scalability of the solution, saying, “Our proven mesh technology, combined with HPL’s high-quality meters, delivers a future-ready AMI solution that adapts to changing network needs without requiring costly additional hardware.”
Dual-Radio Functionality for Enhanced Efficiency
The new gateway features dual-radio functionality, integrating an 865–868 MHz RF mesh and an LTE modem into select HPL smart meters. This allows data collection from up to 300 meters through a multi-hop mesh network, with the LTE modem transmitting the data directly to HPL’s central system. By eliminating the need for standalone gateway devices, the solution reduces installation complexity, lowers maintenance costs, and enhances operational efficiency for utilities.
HPL’s Market Leadership
HPL is a dominant force in India’s electric equipment manufacturing sector, offering a wide range of products, including smart meters, switchgear, lighting equipment, wires, and cables. According to a 2016 Frost & Sullivan report, the company holds the largest market share in India’s energy meters segment and ranks as the fifth-largest LED lamp provider. With robust manufacturing capabilities and an extensive nationwide distribution network, HPL continues to strengthen its position as a trusted brand in the electrical equipment industry.
The collaboration with Wirepas marks a significant step forward in HPL’s mission to deliver innovative, scalable, and cost-effective solutions for India’s evolving energy needs.
