The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has crossed a major milestone, with more than 50.06 lakh households across India now benefiting from rooftop solar installations. The achievement comes just over two years after the scheme was launched and highlights the rapid growth of India’s rooftop solar sector under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The scheme, launched with a total outlay of ₹75,021 crore, has significantly accelerated rooftop solar adoption compared to the previous decade. While around 7.94 lakh rooftop solar systems were installed over the ten years before the scheme, the programme has now enabled more than 50 lakh installations in just over two years. The government describes it as the world’s largest rooftop solar programme and one of the fastest-growing clean energy initiatives globally.
The pace of installations has increased sharply over the past nine months. Daily installations have grown from about 5,038 in October 2025 to nearly 16,328 in July 2026, representing a 3.2-fold increase. The scheme is currently adding nearly one lakh beneficiary households every six days. July 2026 alone recorded 5.06 lakh rooftop solar installations, the highest monthly figure since the programme began.
Financial support under the scheme has also expanded significantly. The government has released ₹28,024 crore in subsidies directly to beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. As a result, nearly 19 lakh households are now receiving zero electricity bills. In addition, more than 12 lakh households earned a combined ₹421 crore during FY 2024-25 by selling surplus electricity to the grid, generating an average additional annual income of around ₹3,500 per household.
The Utility Led Aggregation model has enabled rooftop solar access for low-income households, including beneficiaries under PMAY, Below Poverty Line (BPL), and SC/ST categories. Around 1.6 lakh installations have been completed across four states under this model, while implementation has been approved in 12 states.
Affordable financing has also supported the programme’s growth. Concessional loans at an interest rate of 5.75%, linked to the Repo Rate plus 50 basis points, have been sanctioned for 21.87 lakh applicants. Of these, nearly 17.5 lakh rooftop solar installations have already been completed using loan financing, supported by paperless processing through the Jan Samarth platform.
The scheme has also strengthened the rooftop solar ecosystem by registering 34,219 vendors, of which 29,469 are currently active. More than 2.32 lakh people have been trained through capacity-building programmes to support the expanding solar value chain. So far, the scheme has commissioned a cumulative rooftop solar capacity of 14.8 GW.
To improve ease of access, the programme operates through a fully digital platform covering application, approvals, loan processing, subsidy disbursal, and net metering. Consumers are no longer required to complete physical paperwork or visit government offices. The platform integrates Jan Samarth for loans, PFMS for subsidy payments within 15 days, API connectivity with more than 80 DISCOMs, digital net metering agreements, vendor star ratings, and compliance through the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) portal.
The government has also simplified rooftop solar adoption by introducing deemed approvals and waiving feasibility studies for systems up to 10 kW. Additionally, 32 states and Union Territories have removed application and net metering charges. Incentives worth ₹3,807.6 crore have been provided to DISCOMs, while Urban Local Bodies have received around ₹104 crore. A City Accelerator Programme has been launched in 46 cities, and nearly 23,000 third-party quality inspections have been carried out to maintain installation standards.
The programme has also made progress in solarizing government buildings. Central ministries identified 41,542 suitable buildings with a potential capacity of 1,418 MW, of which 25,255 buildings with 872 MW have already been equipped with rooftop solar. States have identified around 3.2 lakh feasible government buildings with a potential of 4,400 MW, and 81,329 buildings with a combined capacity of 1,450 MW have already been solarized. Overall, more than 1.06 lakh government buildings across the country have been equipped with rooftop solar systems.
With installations continuing at a record pace, the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is playing a key role in expanding rooftop solar adoption, reducing household electricity expenses, increasing clean energy generation, and supporting India’s long-term goals of energy security and energy independence.
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