ABSTRACT
This chapter starts from the premise that infrastructures are socio-technical, material and political objects that play a critical role in shaping the configuration of the urban. It contends that their extension is a process worth analysing through those very social, material and political prisms. The materiality of infrastructure extension, and its impact on the consolidation of irregular settlements, not only shapes the city but also sheds light on the geographical dimensions of the electricity grid and its functioning. The chapter shows infrastructure deployment as both a material and a political process highlights the interdependence between service extension, the urban fabric and politics. It uses semi-structured interviews with utility executives, engineers and technicians to uncover the mechanisms shaping the urban interventions of electricity distribution companies in Delhi. Facing growing discontent, the Delhi government reformed the sector following a now conventional model of unbundling services. The reform was underpinned by the creation of the independent Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).
