HT AMR for RAPDRP towns

Publication and portal calendar dates

The RFP calendar of events does not print fixed calendar dates; Date of Publication of RFP, last date for queries, pre-bid meeting, bid submission, bid processing fee payable date, techno-commercial opening and financial bid opening are all stated as 'As per KPP Portal'.

• Bidders must take the live dates only from the Karnataka Public Procurement Portal (https://kppp.karnataka.gov.in / https://KPP.karnataka.gov.in).
• No corrigendum in this document pack amends the calendar.

Pre-bid / clarification window

A pre-bid meeting is to be held at Corporate Office, HESCOM, Hubballi on the date shown on the KPP Portal; venue is Corporate office, HESCOM, P.B. road, Navangar, Hubballi-580025.

• Queries (signed & scanned) to [email protected] or hard copy to Superintending Engineer (IT&MT), Corporate Office, Vidyut Bhavana, HESCOM, Gopankoppa, Hubballi-580023, prior to the pre-bid meeting.
• Queries raised after the pre-bid meeting will not be entertained; non-attendance does not disqualify but bars later queries.
• Owner will respond to clarification requests received not later than one day prior to the bid submission deadline; clarifications/corrigenda will be on the KPP Portal.

Bid validity

Bid validity is 180 days; the detailed instruction clause measures it from the last date of bid submission (see also contradictions on the invitation-sheet wording).

• IB 3.13: bid shall remain valid for 180 calendar days from the last date of Bid submission; shorter validity is rejected as non-responsive.
• Section II invitation sheet also states 180 days but from opening of Techno Commercial Bid — conflict recorded under contradictions.
• Purchaser may request extension of validity; EMD is to be extended correspondingly; refusal may lead to EMD forfeiture without further penalty on the bidder for refusing.

Contract and completion timelines after award

Supply within one month from Date of Award; replacement & commissioning within six months from Date of commencement (communicated by HESCOM); total contract five years; maintenance five years from Go-live.

• Go-live is when all modems are replaced and commissioned in all RAPDRP subdivisions.
• Within 15 days of LOI: acceptance letter, 5% PBG, contract agreement with SLA on non-judicial stamp paper, and NDA.
• Contract agreement on prescribed format within 15 days from LOI; Work Award issued on receipt of LOI acceptance after executing agreement and NDA.
• HESCOM may terminate earlier with one month’s notice for unsatisfactory performance, project withdrawal or technical reasons.

Amount put to tender / estimated value

Amount put to tender is Rs.2.14 Crore (inclusive of GST).

• Two-part tender; financial evaluation is L1 on overall lump-sum price in Form 6 / KPP portal.
• Price Bid Item 1: Supply, Installation (replacement), Commissioning of Modems — quantity 1910 Nos.
• Item 2: Maintenance Cost for 5 years — quantity 2006 for 60 months; maintenance shall not be less than 35% of Total Project cost.
• Quantity variation ±25% of tendered quantity during contractual period at quoted prices.

EMD / bid security

EMD is 1.5% of the total amount put to tender (i.e. 1.5% of Rs.2.14 Crore), refundable, via KPP portal e-payment modes; permanent EMD not accepted; no interest.

• Up to Rs.10.00 Lakhs paid electronically through KPP portal e-payment modes; any balance above Rs.10 Lakhs by Bank Guarantee — original BG to SE (IT&MT), Corporate Office, Vidyut Bhavana, HESCOM, Gopankoppa, Hubballi-580023 on or before last day of bid submission; copy uploaded on portal.
• EMD validity: 180 days from schedule date of submission of bid documents; fixed-validity instruments shall be valid for 45 days beyond tender validity.
• Unsuccessful bidders: EMD returned within 30 days of end of tender validity / on finalization of order.
• Successful bidder: EMD returned after Performance Guarantee furnished (also discharged when Agreement signed and Performance Security furnished).
• Forfeiture triggers include withdrawal/modification during validity, failure to accept order or furnish PBG, cartel, failure to implement, non-acceptance of price correction, failure to sign Agreement or furnish security deposit.
• Bids without acceptable EMD are non-responsive/rejected.

Tender / bid processing fee

Tender documents are free to download from the KPP Portal; a non-refundable tender processing fee as determined by the KPP platform is payable electronically at bid submission.

• Payment modes for tender fee: Credit Card, Direct Debit, NEFT, Over the Counter (OTC).
• No fixed tender-fee amount is printed in the RFP body (only 'As per KPP portal').

Performance security

Successful bidder must furnish performance security deposit of 5% of Total Contract Value as Bank Guarantee from a Nationalized Bank or Public Scheduled bank within 15 days of LOI/LOA.

• PBG retained till expiry of 90 days after the end of the guarantee period; proceeds payable on demand without condition; no interest.
• Failure to deposit security: EMD forfeited and acceptance may be cancelled; failure to submit PBG is ground to annul award and forfeit bid security.
• If contract renewed, PBG validity extended for a further 90 days after end of renewed contract period.
• Form 5 is the Contract Performance Guarantee proforma (Rs.500 stamp paper in name of guarantee issuing bank for PoA note).

Payment terms

Supply/installation paid in staged percentages against deliverables; maintenance paid 100% quarterly over 60 months; all payments centrally at IT section, performance/SLA based.

• Supply of 4G modems/cables/accessories: 50% of quoted supply-installation-commissioning cost on delivery to HESCOM Divisional stores within one month from Date of award (delivery challans, inspection reports, MAS, transit insurance, e-way bill, factory inspection dispatch instruction).
• Installation/replacement/commissioning (SIM config, MDAS integration, MDM push): 20% on completion of 50% tendered quantity after 3 months from commencement; 20% on remaining 50% after 6 months from commencement (config details, MDAS verification, modem return acknowledgement, training completion per 6.3.2).
• Retention: 10% of supply-installation-commissioning cost, released 6 months after successful completion of 100% supplied modems, against completion certificate.
• Maintenance (MDAS, data, connectivity, troubleshooting): 100% paid on quarterly basis for 60 months against uptime reports, fault logs, communication status.
• Invoices: pre-receipted bills in duplicate certified by IT&MT; supply by IT Section; installation by ICT&MIS Section; maintenance by IT&MT Section.
• SCC: Purchaser may withhold reasonable portion for deficient work; prices fixed for contract period except tax/statutory levy revisions as provided; IB also requires GST inclusive and firm absorbs tax increases / passes reductions.

Legal entity / constitution

Bidder must be an Indian company under Companies Act 1956/2013, or LLP under LLP Act 2008, or partnership under Partnership Act 1932, or sole proprietorship, with supporting registration/incorporation documents.

• Company: Certificate of Incorporation, MoA/AoA, annual filings AOC-4 & MGT-7 for preceding two FYs, Directors’ declaration of non-disqualification with list of companies where they are directors.
• LLP: Certificate of incorporation, LLP Agreement, Form 11 annual return.
• Partnership/sole prop: Partnership Deed, GST registration, Shops & Establishment (as applicable), PAN/registration certificate.

OEM / authorized dealer status

Bidder must be the OEM or an authorized licensed agent/dealer for supply, installation and commissioning of modems and meter data acquisition (software development/customization and/or commissioning of AMR/meter data logging system).

• Documents: Self-declaration if OEM; else Manufacturers' Authorization Form (MAF) from OEM.

Past experience / modem quantity

Must have obtained orders for supply, installation, commissioning of modems, MDAS software development/customization and/or commissioning of AMR/meter data logging system for Power utilities in India of not less than 80% (1605 Nos of Modems) of tendered quantity in any one of the last three FYs (2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26); MSE relaxation to 40% (802 Nos) in any one of last two FYs (2024-25, 2025-26).

• Evidence: PO/Contract copies from Power utilities in India; performance certificate from officer not below DGM/Executive Engineer or equivalent.

Own MDAS, type tests, R&D, technical compliance and ISO

Bidder must own an MDAS application compatible with existing and replacement modems; hold valid 4G modem type tests ≤5 years old from CPRI/ERDA/NPL/ERTL or other NABL lab; have own R&D/technical support team; upload mandatory technical specification compliance; and hold valid ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2018 as on bid submission.

• MDAS: self-declaration of ownership plus prior deployment proof (WO and performance certificate ≥ DGM/EE level).
• Mandatory technical specifications compliance of intended modem as provided by OEM.
• Annexure I technical particulars must be OEM-signed on each page with type test reports for listed standards (pp.67-70).

Blacklisting, default, litigation and land-border rules

Bidder must not have defaulted on prior HESCOM/utility POs; must not be blacklisted by any Govt/PSU/private company as on last bid submission date; must have no pending litigation/arbitration with HESCOM; and must comply with land-border registration rules.

• Default and blacklist declarations on Rs.500 stamp paper, duly notarized.
• Litigation: self-declaration uploaded on KPPP portal.
• Land-border: bidders from countries sharing land border with India eligible only if registered with Competent Authority; upload registration certificate or Rs.500 notarized self-declaration, plus the prescribed certification wording.
• Definition of such bidder expressly includes consortium/JV members, agents, subsidiaries and beneficial owners (pp.25-26).
• Even if QR met, disqualification for misleading/false representations or poor past performance with HESCOM.

Financial qualification

Annual turnover not less than 100% of amount put to tender in any one of preceding five FYs (2021-22 to 2025-26); for Micro & Small Enterprises, not less than 50%.

• Liquid assets as on 30.06.2026 or a later date before bid submission (Cash at Bank + Term Deposits + fund-based credit facility) ≥ 25% of amount put to tender; multi-bank balances must be on the same date; bank certificate required (Form 7 format available).
• Documents: CA-signed/sealed P&L, balance sheets and audited financial statements.

Sample modem gate and non-negotiable clauses

Sample 4G modem with accessories, type test certificates and software must be submitted within 2 days of bid submission; only bidders whose sample succeeds compatibility checks on HESCOM meters are considered for price bid opening.

• Sample compulsory; no deviations thereafter; accessories at no extra cost.
• Offers taking deviations in delivery schedule, EMD, bid validity, scope of work, security deposit, payment terms, late-delivery penalty or bid prices will be summarily rejected.
• No separate consortium/JV formation rules (size caps/equity floors) are prescribed beyond land-border definitions treating consortium/JV members as 'bidder'.

What is being procured

End-to-end HT AMR for RAPDRP towns of HESCOM: supply/install (replace) 4G modems, solution engineering, commissioning, MDAS hosting/integration and data push to MDM, plus comprehensive maintenance for five years.

• Supply: 4G modems, cables and accessories for meter data collection/transmission.
• Installation/commissioning: replace existing GPRS modems, supply & configure SIMs, integrate to MDAS and push to MDM.
• Maintenance (5 years): modem/accessories O&M, server hardware/software, data charges, connectivity charges, modem troubleshooting.
• Objective: automatic remote HT meter data for monitoring, accurate billing and exceptions; upgrade GPRS to LTE 4G across RAPDRP HT consumers.

Quantities, locations and phases

Replace 1910 modems (including temporary installations) across RAPDRP towns of HESCOM (21 towns / 37 O&M subdivisions listed); price schedule also prices maintenance on 2006 units for 60 months.

• Phased replacement without degrading communication: (i) non-communicating modems; (ii) decade-old modems; (iii) remaining modems.
• Business continuity: billing-read % during migration ≥ existing AMR levels; no downtime to MDMS/billing; full meter-data continuity.
• Locations span Hubli-Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Belgaum, Bijapur/Bagalkot belt and coastal towns (Sirsi, Dandeli, Karwar, Bhatkal, Kumta etc.) as listed pp.42-43.
• Quantity subject to ±25% variation during contract; quantities provisional.

MDAS, connectivity, survey and O&M deliverables

Bidder designs/hosts scalable MDAS (DC at BESCOM Data Centre Bengaluru and DR on cloud), integrates with existing/future MDM and billing, provisions SIMs/connectivity, surveys all sites, maintains circle-wise manpower, and hands over assets on exit.

• Survey: signal strength, network selection, GPS, meter make/model/CT-PT, existing modem condition, photos; post-survey compliance submission.
• SIMs: maintain existing network until full 4G cutover; no single-TSP dependency; public APN whitelisted SIMs; multi-TSP tie-up allowed.
• MDAS: push instantaneous data every hour and complete data once/day; OS/MDAS/DB licenses in HESCOM name, valid/guaranteed 5 years extendable 2 years; size for 5-year growth at 1.7% YoY on contract quantity.
• O&M: cables/connectors/casing, network at field and central, CMRI fallback within bid limits, monthly reports, CERT-In cyber security audit if required, return old modems to HESCOM stores.
• Training: end-user + min. 3-day administrator training, all costs on bidder.
• Exit: full documentation/software/inventory handover, 3 months shadow + 3 months secondary support at no extra cost.
• Any additional HW/SW needed for end-to-end implementation at bidder cost.

Modem technical requirements (high level)

Intelligent 4G modem with fallback to 3G/2G, built-in Bluetooth for local meter reading, RS-232/RS-485/optical connectivity, DLMS and legacy non-DLMS support, FOTA, IP55, and full parameter set (instantaneous, billing history, load survey, tampers).

• Detailed mandatory general technical particulars in Annexure I (pp.67-70) and Section VII specs (pp.49-56).
• Sample modem compatibility with HESCOM meters is a condition for price-bid opening.

Completion / contract period

Supply in 1 month from award; replacement & commissioning in 6 months from commencement; maintenance 5 years from Go-live; total contract 5 years.

Submission portal and mode

Bids must be submitted online only through the Karnataka Public Procurement (KPP) portal; offline bids and bids without EMD are disqualified.

• Portal: https://kppp.karnataka.gov.in / https://KPP.karnataka.gov.in; two parts — Techno-Commercial Bid and Price Bid.
• All qualifying documents scanned and uploaded; English language; one bid only.
• Technical bid must not contain financial information; do not upload Price Bid Form 6 in technical/financial document upload — key lump-sum in portal financial section only or face disqualification.
• Portal date/timestamp is final; conditional, incomplete, improperly uploaded or late bids rejected.
• Original certificates to be produced for verification whenever required by HESCOM.

Physical originals and sample

If EMD portion is by BG (only excess over Rs.10 lakh), original BG must reach SE (IT&MT), Corporate Office, Vidyut Bhavana, HESCOM, Gopankoppa, Hubballi-580023 on or before last day of bid submission; sample modem package within 2 days of bid submission.

• BG copy also uploaded on KPP portal.
• Sample: sealed AMR modem + valid type test certificates + applicable software + accessories; tested on HESCOM meters for price-bid eligibility.
• Queries may also be submitted in hard copy to the same SE (IT&MT) address before pre-bid.

Signing / attestation rules

Bid corrections must be initialled by the person(s) signing the bid; several self-declarations require Rs.500 stamp paper duly notarized; forms on bidder letterhead with authorized signature and company seal.

• RFP does not prescribe a DSC class explicitly; submission is through KPP portal e-procurement process.
• Post-award: contract agreement and NDA on appropriate non-judicial stamp paper; stamp duty per KPTCL circular referenced in LOI.

Bid validity start date

Section II invitation states 180 days from opening of Techno Commercial Bid, while IB 3.13 and Bid Submission procedure state 180 days from the last date of bid submission.

• EMD validity is separately tied to 180 days from schedule date of submission (IB 3.7 c).
• Practical approach until clarified: hold bid and instruments for the longer of the two interpretations; raise as pre-bid query.
• No corrigendum resolves this.

Price adjustment / firm price wording in SCC 5.7

SCC 5.7 first says prices are upward/downward adjustable and Purchaser may renegotiate downward at any time, then states prices shall not be subject to any upward/downward revision on any account, with a limited tax/levy proviso.

• IB 3.14 separately: no price variations; GST inclusive; tax increases absorbed by firm; reductions passed to HESCOM.
• SCC prevails over GCC on conflict, but the internal SCC inconsistency remains; bidders should seek written clarification.
• Also impacts whether maintenance rates can be cut mid-contract.

Supply modem quantity vs maintenance quantity

Scope/price bid require replacement of 1910 modems, while maintenance is priced on 2006 units for 60 months without explaining the 96-unit gap in the RFP body.

• May reflect existing population + growth/temporary installations, but not expressly defined; material to pricing of O&M and SLA base.
• ±25% quantity variation clause applies to tendered quantity generally.

e-Auction language vs two-part L1 tender

Bid submission instructions repeatedly say the bid is quoted online through e-auction, while the tender type is Two Part (Techno-Commercial + Price) evaluated on L1 lump-sum after technical qualification.

• Bidders should confirm on KPP portal whether any reverse-auction step applies after L1 identification; RFP financial evaluation text only describes L1 opening of qualified price bids.

Confirm controlling bid-validity anchor date

Please confirm whether the 180-day bid validity runs from last date of bid submission (IB 3.13 / 2.2 m) or from techno-commercial bid opening (Section II), and the corresponding EMD/BG validity end date required.

• Affects bid bond tenor and extension risk if opening is delayed.

Reconcile firm-price vs Purchaser downward revision rights

Please clarify whether contract prices are firm for the full five-year term (IB 3.14 / second para of SCC 5.7) or whether HESCOM may unilaterally review/negotiate downward revisions at any time (first para of SCC 5.7), including maintenance charges.

• Material to O&M pricing and margin risk over 60 months.

Basis of 2006 maintenance quantity vs 1910 supply quantity

Please define the composition of the 2006 maintenance quantity versus 1910 modems to be supplied/replaced, and confirm the SLA/penalty denominator (installed, communicating, or priced quantity) during migration and after Go-live.

• Also confirm how ±25% quantity variation and 1.7% YoY growth sizing interact with the priced 2006 × 60 months line.

Sample modem logistics and failure consequences

Please specify the exact delivery address, contact person, acknowledgement process and test schedule for the sample modem due within 2 days of bid submission, and whether sample failure is curable or is final techno-commercial rejection.

• Also confirm whether multiple makes/models may be sampled if MAF covers a family of products.

Existing MDAS/MDM interfaces, current communication baseline and SIM/MPLS responsibilities

Please share current MDAS–MDM/billing API/data formats, present sub-division-wise communication/billing-read baseline to be maintained during migration, ownership of existing M2M SIMs/MPLS, and whether bidder must re-provision all SIMs or can reuse existing SIMs until cutover.

• Needed to price integration, dual-run period and telecom costs; RFP requires maintaining existing network setup until all GPRS modems are replaced.

When maintenance SLA penalties start and what is excluded as Utility issue

Please confirm whether communication penalties apply from award date on the inherited modem base (GCC 4.6 note 3), how 'Utility issue' is evidenced/excluded from the percentage formula, and whether first-six-months replacement/troubleshooting obligations modify the 90% no-penalty threshold.

• Also confirm CMRI 10% cap per SDO interacts with 1st-of-month non-communication rule for billing reads.

Is reverse e-auction applicable after L1?

Portal instructions refer to e-Auction while evaluation clause states pure L1 on lump-sum Form 6 price — please confirm the exact commercial process on KPP for this tender number.

Aggressive delivery and inherited SLA from day one

Supply in 1 month from award and full replacement/commissioning in 6 months from commencement, while communication penalties apply immediately from award on the existing intermittent modem base.

• First six months also require replacement of all old modems listed at award and troubleshooting of all non-communicating HT installations.
• LD for late delivery/performance: 0.5% of value of delayed goods/services per week or part, capped at 10% of that value; may terminate and forfeit PBG.
• Maintenance penalty capped at 10% of monthly invoice submitted quarterly, but below 75% communication can zero maintenance payment and trigger termination after three consecutive months.

Strict communication SLA and 1st-of-month billing rule

No-penalty band requires 90–100% HT meter information received; non-communication on the 1st of the month makes an installation non-communicating for the whole month even if it communicated other days.

• 80–89%: no payment for non-communicating installs + 10% penalty on unit maintenance rate of those installs.
• 75–79%: same with 15% penalty.
• Below 75%: no maintenance payment.
• CMRI may cover at most 10% of installations per SDO toward the 90% automatic inflow requirement; CMRI data must reach MDM before billing cycle.
• MDAS availability expected >99%.

Payment cash-flow and security holdbacks

Only 50% on supply delivery; 40% installation linked to 3/6-month milestones; 10% retention for 6 months after 100% commissioning; maintenance only quarterly and subject to heavy SLA deductions.

• 5% PBG for full contract plus retention creates stacked security.
• Purchaser may withhold payments for perceived deficient standards (SCC 5.8).
• Tax increase risk sits with bidder; possible Purchaser downward price review if SCC first paragraph is enforced.

One-sided termination, risk purchase and liability

HESCOM may terminate for convenience, for insolvency, for non-performance, or with one month’s notice for unsatisfactory performance/project withdrawal; risk purchase with 3-day notice and vendor liability up to 100% of contract; blacklisting possible.

• Risk purchase clause: procure from next eligible bidder/alternate sources at risk and cost of successful bidder; total liability under that clause limited to 100% of contract.
• Limitation of liability otherwise to contract value, excluding wilful misconduct, IP indemnity, tortious negligence/misconduct, death.
• Bidder bears all bid preparation costs; HESCOM may cancel/modify tender without liability.

Scope creep, dual-run integration and sample gate

Anything essential but not expressly listed is deemed included at no extra cost; additional HW/SW for end-to-end implementation is bidder-borne; migration must preserve existing communication/billing without downtime.

• Bidder must support existing field modems and new 4G units on own MDAS; DC+DR hosting; CERT-In audit if required; multi-TSP SIMs; return old modems.
• Failed sample modem blocks price-bid opening — late/failed sample is a bid-killer.
• Maintenance quote floor of 35% of total project cost constrains commercial structure.
• Governing law/disputes: MD HESCOM decision final on interpretation; courts at Hubballi/Dharwad exclusive.

Tender inviting authority – Superintending Engineer (IT&MT), HESCOM

Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited; Superintending Engineer (IT&MT), Corporate Office, Vidyut Bhavana / Gopankoppa, Hubballi-580023.

• Tel No.: 0836-2222535; Fax No.: 0836-2324307; email: [email protected].
• SCC notices contact: 9480883684; email [email protected]; address Corporate Office, Gopankoppa, Hubballi-580023, Karnataka.
• Pre-bid venue listed separately as Corporate office, HESCOM, P.B. road, Navangar, Hubballi-580025.
• Physical submissions (EMD BG original; hard-copy queries; sample modem logistics to be confirmed): office of Superintending Engineer (IT&MT), Corporate Office, Vidyut Bhavana, HESCOM, Gopankoppa, Hubballi-580023.
• Forms address correspondence to The Superintending Engineer(IT&MT), HESCOM Corporate office, Gopankoppa Hubballi-580023.

KPP portal helpdesk

For technical support on the KPP portal: Help Desk 080-46010000, 080-68948777; E-mail [email protected].

• IB 3.8 also cites +91-8046010000 for KPP clarification/training.