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Regulatory Approvals
Chief Electrical Inspector to Government approvals in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — mandatory for every installation above 650V, every solar plant above 100kW, and every captive plant above 500kVA, before DISCOM will energise.
Overview
CEIG approval is a statutory gate under Section 162 of the Electricity Act 2003 — without it, the DISCOM will not release power to any HT or EHT installation. The threshold is not a kW figure; it is a voltage threshold: any installation operating above 650V requires CEIG clearance. This includes HT substations, consumer HT connections, solar plants above 100kW, captive generating plants above 500kVA, major electrical alterations, and recommissioning after a shutdown of more than six months. The process runs in five phases — documentation, CEIG review, physical inspection, rectification if required, and final certificate issuance — typically 15 to 60 days depending on project complexity and documentation quality.
Why Daakshyaani
Only licensed contractors can process CEIG applications for large-scale HT installations. We hold that license in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — we are authorised to represent clients at both inspectorate offices.
Most CEIG rejections come from documentation failures — incorrect SLDs, missing test certificates, inadequate earthing drawings, or outdated load calculations. We prepare applications that match the CEA Regulations 2010 checklist, minimising deficiency notices and re-inspections.
CEIG inspectors typically flag: poor earthing continuity, relay settings without test certificates, cable sizing deviations from approved SLD, and missing Fire Department NOC. We audit for these specifically before submission — not after inspection.
AP CEIG operates under the AP Electrical Licensing Regulations; Telangana CEIG operates under the Telangana State Electrical Licensing Regulations 2018. We know the documentation requirements and inspection protocols at both offices independently.
If an inspector raises a deficiency note, we coordinate all rectification work and re-inspection scheduling. The client never needs to engage with the inspectorate directly — we own the process from first submission to final certificate.
CEIG approval is only the first step — the certificate must then be submitted to the DISCOM to initiate energisation. We manage that handover, monitor DISCOM processing, and follow up until the installation is live.
Blog
Before a CEIG inspection can even be scheduled, the installation's Single Line Diagram (SLD) has to go through statutory drawing approval — a technical review confirming the design meets safety and protection-coordination requirements. This is a distinct, earlier step from the physical inspection itself, and getting the drawing wrong at this stage is one of the most common causes of delay in the overall approval timeline.
CEIG jurisdiction is split by voltage: installations above 33kV are handled directly by the Chief Electrical Inspector's office, while smaller loads are typically processed through the Electrical Inspector at the regional or district level. Knowing which office a project actually falls under — rather than assuming a single point of contact — avoids applications being filed with the wrong authority.
Source: CEA — Chief Electrical Inspectorate DivisionA CEIG-approved drawing is not the same as final energisation clearance — it confirms the design is safe to build to, and the installation is still inspected against that approved drawing before the completion certificate is issued. Projects that change equipment or layout after drawing approval without notifying the inspectorate risk a mismatch being flagged at final inspection, which restarts part of the process.
Industries
It's voltage-based, not capacity-based — any installation above 650V requires CEIG clearance under Section 162 of the Electricity Act 2003. Solar plants above 100kW and captive plants above 500kVA also specifically require it.
Typically 15–60 days across five phases: documentation, CEIG review, physical inspection, rectification if needed, and certificate issuance.
Earthing continuity issues, relay settings submitted without test certificates, cable sizing deviations, and missing Fire NOC are the recurring ones we pre-check for before filing.
The statutory basis — Electricity Act Section 162, CEA Regulations 2010/43 — is common, but Telangana additionally follows the Telangana State Electrical Licensing Regulations 2018. We're licensed and handle filings in both states.
