The Government‑backed world’s largest domestic rooftop solar programme is currently adding 100,000 households every six days.
With India’s PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY) just days away from welcoming its five millionth customer, the world’s largest domestic rooftop solar programme is now adding 100,000 households every six days, according to data shared with Infrastructure Today by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2024, with an outlay of ₹750.21 billion, the scheme targets 10 million households by 2027. Low-income families receive up to 300 units of free electricity per month.
It took 118 days to onboard the first 100,000 households. But once the national solar ecosystem was established—including the online National Portal for Rooftop Solar, a nationwide vendor network, and the integration of distribution companies (DISCOMs)—adoption surged by 2,000 per cent, or a 20‑fold increase.
The portal, designed as a single‑window digital platform, integrates residential consumers, DISCOMs, registered vendors, inspection agencies, financial institutions, and subsidy disbursement mechanisms. It enables users to apply for rooftop solar installations, secure technical feasibility approval, select vendors, track installation progress, apply for and receive subsidies, access calculators for system sizing and savings, and monitor applications end‑to‑end.
This unified ecosystem has accelerated the programme while ensuring transparency in financial management. The entire process, from application to verification, is handled seamlessly on the portal, enabling direct transfer of over ₹276.9 billion in government subsidies into beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
At a time when India is widely described as the global powerhouse of renewable energy by several commentators, PMSGMBY has emerged as its most prominent symbol. Addressing the curtain raiser of the Bharat Renewable Summit & Expo earlier in July, Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy, Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi, declared, “In a couple of weeks, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, that is the rooftop solar scheme, will cross 5 million beneficiary households. It’s a journey that gives India the confidence to convince the world.”
While PMSGMBY shares its social objectives with China’s Photovoltaic Poverty Alleviation Programme (2014) and Brazil’s renewable-energy inclusion initiatives, its rapid nationwide uptake and digital, citizen-centric implementation have made it one of the fastest-growing residential rooftop solar programmes globally.
The number of families benefiting from the scheme currently stands at more than 4.9 million, with installations completed across over 4 million homes. This translates into 14,533.79 MW of installed rooftop solar capacity.
Beyond reducing daily power costs to zero for millions of consumers, the scheme has also created a new class of prosumers, households that generate and sell surplus electricity back to the grid, earning regular passive income.
– Manish Pant