PM Surya Ghar scheme crosses 50 lakh rooftop solar homes milestone

The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has crossed a major milestone, with more than 50 lakh households across India now equipped with rooftop solar installations.Launched in February 2024, the ₹75,021 crore scheme has added over 50.06 lakh rooftop solar systems in just over two years, compared with 7.94 lakh installations recorded during the previous decade, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).The government said the pace of installations has accelerated significantly, with the programme adding around 1 lakh households every six days. Daily installations have increased more than threefold in the last nine months, rising from 5,038 households per day in October 2025 to nearly 16,328 per day in July 2026. July alone saw 5.06 lakh households adopt rooftop solar, the highest monthly addition since the scheme’s launch.Under the scheme, ₹28,024 crore has been transferred directly to beneficiaries as subsidies through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. Nearly 19 lakh households are now reporting zero electricity bills, reducing their monthly power expenses.The government said over 12 lakh households have earned a combined ₹421 crore in FY25 by selling surplus electricity generated from their rooftop solar systems back to the grid. This translates into additional earnings of around ₹3,500 annually per household for those exporting excess power.To expand access among lower-income households, the government has implemented the Utility Led Aggregation model, under which 1.6 lakh rooftop solar installations have been completed for PMAY, BPL and SC/ST households across four states. The model has been approved for rollout in 12 states and aims to help poorer households adopt solar power while reducing the subsidy burden on state governments.The scheme has also facilitated concessional loans for consumers, with 21.87 lakh applications approved at an interest rate of 5.75%. Of these, 17.5 lakh installations have already been completed through loan financing.The rooftop solar push has created a large ecosystem of vendors and workers, with 34,219 registered vendors across the country, of which 29,469 are active. More than 2.32 lakh people have been trained under capacity-building programmes to support the rooftop solar industry. So far, the scheme has helped commission 14.8 GW of rooftop solar capacity.The government said the programme operates through a fully digital process, covering everything from application submission to subsidy disbursal. Features include paperless loan approvals, faster subsidy payments, digital net-metering agreements and vendor ratings to help consumers choose service providers.Several states and Union Territories have also removed application and net-metering charges for rooftop solar systems. The government has released ₹3,807.6 crore as incentives to electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs) and around ₹104 crore to urban local bodies.A City Accelerator Programme has been launched in 46 cities, while around 23,000 third-party quality inspections have been conducted to ensure accountability among vendors.The scheme has also expanded to government buildings. Central ministries have identified 41,542 buildings with a potential capacity of 1,418 MW, of which 25,255 buildings with 872 MW capacity have already been solarised. States have identified around 3.2 lakh buildings with a potential capacity of 4,400 MW, with 81,329 buildings accounting for 1,450 MW already solarised.Overall, 1.06 lakh government buildings have been equipped with rooftop solar systems, while a payment security mechanism has been introduced to encourage private developers to participate in solar projects by reducing payment risks.

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