PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: The Complete 2026 Guide

PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is the Government of India’s residential rooftop solar scheme, launched in February 2024 to put solar on one crore homes. For a typical 3 kW home system the central subsidy is ₹78,000 — a large share of the system cost. This guide covers who qualifies, what you get, the exact application steps, how long it takes, and the mistakes that cost people their subsidy. The scheme is sanctioned to 31 March 2027; as of October 2026 no extension has been notified — see our deadline brief.

How much subsidy do you get?

• 1 kW system: ₹30,000
• 2 kW system: ₹60,000
• 3 kW system and above: ₹78,000 (the maximum)

The subsidy is a fixed amount per kW — ₹30,000 for each of the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third — not a percentage of your quote, so a higher quote never increases it. Capacity above 3 kW gets no extra central subsidy. Several states add their own top-up: Uttar Pradesh and Delhi each add up to ₹30,000 on residential systems, for example. Check your state on our subsidy by state pages.

Who is eligible?

• You are a resident household that owns a house with a roof suitable for solar (shadow-free space, roughly 80 sq ft per kW)
• You have a valid residential electricity connection
• You have not already availed a subsidy for rooftop solar

If you do not own the roof you would typically need the owner’s consent, and flat owners without exclusive rooftop rights are usually better served by a society-level system — see housing society solar.

Documents you will need

• Your latest electricity bill (it shows your consumer number, DISCOM and sanctioned load)
• ID proof — the portal commonly asks for Aadhaar
• Bank account details for the subsidy credit (account number, IFSC, cancelled cheque)
• Proof of roof ownership or the owner’s consent, where asked
• Later in the process: the vendor’s invoice, plant details and your net-meter application

Requirements are set by the national portal and your DISCOM and can vary slightly by state, so treat this as a checklist, not an official list.

The 5-step application process

1. Register on the national portal. Go to pmsuryaghar.gov.in, select your state and DISCOM, and register with your electricity consumer number and mobile number.
2. Apply for a rooftop solar system. Log in and fill in the application with your roof details and desired capacity.
3. Wait for DISCOM feasibility approval. Your DISCOM checks that your connection and the local network can take the system and approves the application.
4. Install through a registered vendor. Choose a vendor from the portal’s registered list, agree the quote in writing, and have the plant installed — with module models that comply with the DCR rule below.
5. Net meter, inspection and subsidy. Submit the plant details and apply for net metering. After the DISCOM inspects the plant and installs the meter you get a commissioning certificate on the portal, upload your bank details, and the subsidy is credited — typically within about 30 days.

How long does it take?

Plan for weeks to a few months end to end. Feasibility approval, installation, net-meter installation and DISCOM inspection each take time, and the timeline stretches in busy periods when approvals and DCR module supply bunch up. Because the scheme window ends on 31 March 2027, starting well before the final quarter is the safe approach.

The DCR rule that decides whether you get the subsidy

Subsidised systems must use DCR modules — solar modules built with domestically manufactured cells — and the exact model must be on the Government’s ALMM list. A wrong module means no subsidy, and the installer’s shrug is no remedy. Before you sign: get the module model number and the word “DCR” in writing on the quotation, check the model on the current ALMM list, ask for the manufacturer’s DCR declaration, and keep the invoice. Our guide to DCR vs non-DCR panels has the full verification checklist, and ALMM List-I vs List-II decoded explains the two lists.

Choosing equipment and a vendor without overpaying

The subsidy is fixed, so every extra rupee in the quote comes out of your pocket. Compare quotes in rupees per watt rather than headline price — how to read a solar quotation shows the line items that explain a large gap between two quotes, and our solar scams handbook covers the traps. For datasheet-level detail on specific equipment, see our solar panel reviews and inverter reviews.

Common reasons claims are delayed or rejected

• Non-DCR or non-ALMM modules installed
• Installation by a vendor who is not registered on the portal
• Installing a different capacity from the one approved in the application
• Bank details that do not match the account holder’s name on the portal
• Skipped or delayed net-meter and inspection steps
• Having claimed another rooftop solar subsidy earlier

Loans and financing

The scheme also promotes bank loans for rooftop solar at concessional rates. Terms vary by bank and change, so compare actual offers rather than relying on a headline rate — and remember the subsidy arrives after commissioning, so you or your lender must fund the full cost upfront.

Deadline and what could change

The scheme is sanctioned through FY 2026-27, ending 31 March 2027. As of 4 October 2026 we found no official extension; MNRE’s Secretary was reported on 15 September 2026 as expecting roughly 85–90 lakh households by March 2027 against the one-crore target, which makes an extension plausible but not confirmed. Updates are tracked in our deadline brief.

Frequently asked questions

Is the subsidy paid to me or to the vendor?

To you. The central subsidy is credited directly to the bank account you register on the portal after commissioning.

Do I need net metering?

Yes — the process includes net-meter installation and DISCOM inspection. How exported units are valued varies by state; see net metering by state.

Can I get the state subsidy as well?

Where your state offers one, yes — it is claimed separately, usually through the state agency or portal. Find your state in our subsidy pages.

We last checked this guide on 4 October 2026. Scheme rules, portal steps and state top-ups change — confirm the current process on pmsuryaghar.gov.in before you apply.