This study evaluates the performance of 29 Electricity Distribution Divisions (EDDs) of an Indian state - Uttarakhand - deploying Input oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The results indicate that the performance of several EDDs is sub-optimal, suggesting the potential for cost reductions and possible reduction in employees number. In the DEA method more than one unit are identified as efficient. Therefore, this study suggests a method for ranking the efficient units by their importance as benchmarks for the inefficient units through benchmark share measure. The bigger the benchmark share, the more important an efficient division is in benchmarking for inefficient ones. Result reveals that plain area divisions are relatively efficient and have higher potential to influence the performance of inefficient EDDs. This study is envisaged to be instrumental to policy makers and managers to increase the operational efficiency of inefficient EDDs and thereby increase the competitiveness in the face of restructuring and liberalization of Indian electricity sector. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.