Over three and a half years after the government launched a program to install 250 million electricity consumer smart meters by the end of the financial year 2026, the results are dismal. According to the latest National Smart Grid Mission data, only 20.85 million smart meters have been installed under various programs. In all, 222.35 million smart meters were approved, and 38.02 million were awarded. The deployment is less than 10% of the target. The target date for the Smart Meter National Program under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme is March 31, 2026.