New Delhi: States are stepping up incentives under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana as competition grows to accelerate rooftop solar adoption across Indian households.
The central government’s flagship residential solar programme currently provides central financial assistance of up to ₹30,000 for a 1 kW system, ₹60,000 for 2 kW and ₹78,000 for systems of 3 kW or above, subject to the scheme’s eligibility and subsidy structure.
According to data from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, rooftop solar systems have been installed in 58.52 lakh households under the programme, with a combined installed capacity of 17,284.3 MW. The Centre has disbursed ₹32,657.67 crore in subsidies.
Delhi Doubles the Subsidy
Delhi has announced one of the most substantial state-level incentives under the scheme. The government plans to provide rooftop solar systems of up to 3 kW free of cost to 2.25 lakh households consuming up to 400 units of electricity a month.
The benefit will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis through a dedicated government portal.
Delhi has also doubled its state contribution to the rooftop solar subsidy. While the central government provides up to ₹78,000, the Delhi government will provide an additional subsidy of up to ₹78,000, taking the potential combined subsidy to ₹1.56 lakh per household.
The additional incentive is also available to eligible Group Housing Societies under the state’s top-up subsidy arrangement.
The move comes as rooftop solar adoption in Delhi remains relatively low compared with several other states. As of the available data, 18,846 households in the capital had installed rooftop solar under PM Surya Ghar, representing 57.15 MW of capacity. Subsidies worth ₹88.41 crore had been distributed.
Bihar, Tamil Nadu Add Top-Up Support
Bihar has also introduced an additional state subsidy. The state is contributing ₹20,000 on top of the central assistance, taking the maximum combined subsidy to ₹98,000.
Tamil Nadu has announced a state contribution of up to ₹22,000, taking the maximum total subsidy available to ₹1 lakh.
Tamil Nadu currently has rooftop solar installations under PM Surya Ghar across 1.15 lakh households, with an installed capacity of 362.97 MW. Subsidy disbursements under the scheme have reached ₹669.33 crore.
Bihar has 31,681 households with rooftop solar installations, representing 111.78 MW of installed capacity. The state has received ₹194.92 crore in subsidies under the programme.
Kerala Leads South India
Kerala remains one of the strongest performers in rooftop solar adoption under PM Surya Ghar. The state has installations across 3.65 lakh households, with a combined capacity of 1,383.77 MW.
Subsidy disbursements in Kerala have reached ₹2,321.45 crore.
Andhra Pradesh, meanwhile, has rooftop solar installations across 4.11 lakh households. However, its installed capacity stands at 1,148.4 MW, with subsidy disbursements of ₹2,160.36 crore.
The state-level initiatives indicate a growing push to make rooftop solar financially more attractive to households. By combining central assistance with additional state subsidies, governments are seeking to lower the upfront cost of installation while expanding residential renewable-energy capacity.
For consumers, the enhanced incentives could make rooftop solar more accessible, while for the renewable-energy industry, wider adoption could create additional demand for solar modules, inverters, installation services and related infrastructure.
