Why Indian electrical frequency is 50Hz?

Almost the whole of the world uses a frequency ofHz and a voltage of-(higher voltages for better efficiency in transmission). The exception, whereHz is used (with a voltage of-), is the Americas (North and South) and the Caribbean (and parts of Japan and Korea).The reasons for India's A.C (ALTERNATING CURRENT) frequency is maintained atHz are very interesting.IT STARTS FROM THE BEGINNING OF ELECTRICITY-Early in the history or electricity, Thomas Edison's General Electric company was distributing DC electricity at volts in the United States. Then Nikola Tesla devised a system of three-phase AC electricity at  volts. Three-phase meant that three alternating currents slightly out of phase were combined in order to even out the great variations in voltage occurring in AC electricity. He had calculated that cycles per second orHz was the most effective frequency. Tesla later compromised to reduce the voltage to volts for safety reasons.With the backing of the Westinghouse Company, Tesla's AC system became the standard in the United States. Westinghouse chose Hz because the arc light carbons(arc lamps) that were popular at that time worked better at Hz than at Hz.Europe goes toHz andVMeanwhile, the German company AEG started generating electricity and became a virtual monopoly in Europe. They decided to useHz instead ofHz to better fit their metric standards, but they stayed withV.Europe stayed atV AC until thes, just after World War II. They then switched over toV for better efficiency in electrical transmission. Great Britain not only switched toV, but they also changed fromHz toHz to follow the European lead. Since many people did not yet have electrical appliances in Europe after the war, the change-over was not that expensive for them. U.S. stays atV,HzThe United States also considered converting toV for home use but felt it would be too costly, due to all theV electrical appliances people had. A compromise was made in the U.S. in thatV would come into the house where it would be split toV to power most appliances. Certain household appliances such as the electric stove and electric clothes dryer would be powered atV.India gotHz, because it was colonized by England, which when they developed their electrical systems, choose Hz.From technical point of view operating Hz versus Hz would not make much difference but, to achieve it, either the prime movers - for example steam turbines, gas turbines and diesel engines  would need to be able to tolerate a% increase in speed or the alternators they drive - which produce the electricity  would need to be completely rebuilt with extra poles and windings so that they could continue to run at the same rotational speed. The costs of doing such re-engineering would be enormous and could not be justified as "economically worthwhile" from the point of view of actual necessity.We  could have chosen any other frequency other than/ hz but/ HZ is an optimum frequency which keeps the transmission losses to tolerable limits. The higher will be the frequency, the more will be the losses.and lower frequencies would causes the size, weight & hence the cost to increase. Also, more flickers are noticed in lesser frequencies than higher frequencies.The voltage and frequency of AC electricity varies from country to country throughout the world. Most useV andHz. About% of the countries useV and/orHz to power their homes.V andHz are the most efficient values, but only a few countries use that combination. 

There is not any big scientific or electrical reason  as to why in US and some other parts of the World useHz and in India and certain other parts of the World use Hz.It is just the way it has been started and it continues so.Changing this system would cost a lot.

Father of DC, Sir, Thomas Alva Edison's General Electric Company wanted to distribute DC electricity at volts in the United States. On the other hand the Father of AC Nikola Tesla devised a system of three-phase AC electricity at volts.

Three-phase meant that three alternating currents slightly out of phase were combined in order to even out the great variations in voltage occurring in AC electricity. He had calculated that cycles per second orHz was the most effective frequency. Tesla later compromised to reduce the voltage to volts for safety reasons. With the backing of the Westinghouse Company, Tesla's AC system became the standard in the United States. Westinghouse chose Hz because the arc light carbons (arc lamps) that were popular at that time worked better at Hz than at Hz.

India gotHz, because India was under British Colony before as we all know the History, which when they developed their electrical systems, choose Hz. From technical point of view operating Hz versus Hz would not make much difference but, to achieve it, either the prime movers - for example steam turbines, gas turbines and diesel engines would need to be able to tolerate a% increase in speed or the alternators they drive - which produce the electricity would need to be completely rebuilt with extra poles and windings so that they could continue to run at the same rotational speed. The costs of doing such re-engineering would be enormous and could not be justified as "economically worthwhile" from the point of view of actual necessity.

We could have chosen any other frequency other than/ hz but/ HZ is an optimum frequency which keeps the transmission losses to tolerable limits. The higher will be the frequency, the more will be the losses and lower frequencies would causes the size, weight & hence the cost to increase. Also, more flickers are noticed in lesser frequencies than higher frequencies. Also, we could not switch toHz now because all the devices Made in India are optimized forHz only also if you want to upgradeHz from Step.1 we have to do all the electrical works again (which is not going to happen).

The voltage and frequency of AC electricity varies from country to country throughout the world.  Most useV andHz. About% of the countries useV and/orHz to power their homes.V,Hz are the most efficient values, but only a few countries use that combination.