‘Get Solar in 60 Secs’ transforms rooftop adoption, turning a once‑confusing process into a one‑minute assessment.
Even as the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY) drives millions of Indian families to adopt rooftop solar, its expansion reflects a broader transformation in how government schemes are delivered. With digital infrastructure deepening nationwide, departments are moving away from multi‑step, form‑heavy processes toward interfaces citizens already use daily, including messaging apps, mobile platforms, and AI‑assisted tools.
With over five million households onboarded, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has taken another step by launching ‘Get Solar in 60 Secs’, an interactive platform designed to simplify adoption. The tool turns what was once a confusing process into a one‑minute consumer assessment. Homeowners can instantly gauge their solar eligibility, installation capacity, subsidy entitlement, loan options, and lifetime savings, all before connecting directly with verified vendors empanelled under PM Surya Ghar.
What sets the platform apart is its playful, game‑like design. Users begin with an animated solar panel, enter basic details such as name, phone number, state, district, electricity bill, and sanctioned load, then receive a customised solar plan in seconds. The final step links them to vendors via WhatsApp, taking citizens from curiosity to action in under a minute.
The scheme already runs on a dedicated online portal that manages applications end‑to‑end, from registration to subsidy disbursal. Building on this digital‑first approach, the ministry in June introduced ‘SUNtosh’, a WhatsApp‑based AI chatbot that answers queries, guides applicants, and troubleshoots issues in real time. Together, these tools mark a shift in design philosophy: government schemes as interactive digital touchpoints rather than bureaucratic hurdles.
By combining speed, simplicity, and accessibility, Get Solar in 60 Secs and SUNtosh represent the next phase of the world’s largest government‑backed rooftop solar programme. They could prove crucial in sustaining adoption momentum and serve as a template for how other public schemes in the country embrace digital innovation.