The central government’s flagship PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has crossed a major milestone, with more than 50.06 lakh households now equipped with rooftop solar systems across the country. This marks one of the fastest expansions of distributed renewable energy globally, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said on Tuesday.
Backed by an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore, the programme has achieved in just over two years what took nearly a decade earlier, with rooftop solar installations accelerating from 7.94 lakh installations over the previous 10 years to more than 50 lakh households since the scheme’s launch.
The ministry said this rapid adoption highlights rooftop solar’s role in reducing electricity bills, creating new income opportunities for households and supporting India’s transition towards a cleaner and more decentralised energy economy.
Rooftop solar installations accelerate sharply
According to the ministry, the pace of rooftop solar adoption has significantly increased over the past year. The scheme is now benefiting nearly one lakh households every six days, with daily installations rising 3.2 times in the last nine months, from 5,038 installations per day in October 2025 to nearly 16,328 per day in July 2026.
According to data released by the Centre, July 2026 alone saw rooftop solar systems installed in 5.06 lakh households, the highest monthly addition since the scheme began. The ministry described the programme as the world’s largest rooftop solar initiative.
PM Surya Ghar: 50 Lakh Homes and Counting
Zero electricity bills becoming a reality
One of the biggest outcomes of the scheme has been the reduction in household electricity expenses. The Centre released Rs 28,024 crore directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism, enabling faster subsidy disbursal.
As a result, nearly 19 lakh households are now reporting zero electricity bills, lowering monthly energy costs. In addition to savings, rooftop solar is also generating supplementary income.
According to the ministry, more than 12 lakh households collectively earned Rs 421 crore during FY25 by selling surplus electricity back to the grid, translating into an average annual income of around Rs 3,500 per household.
Affordable financing drives adoption
The government said access to affordable credit has played a key role in accelerating installations. Concessional loans at 5.75% interest, benchmarked to the Repo Rate plus 50 basis points, have been sanctioned for 21.87 lakh applicants. Of these, 17.5 lakh rooftop solar installations have already been completed using loan financing.
Integration with the Jan Samarth portal has enabled paperless loan processing, making access to financing easier for households.
Focus on low-income households
The ministry said the scheme is also helping expand rooftop solar adoption among economically weaker sections. Under the Utility Led Aggregation Model, around 1.6 lakh installations have been completed for PMAY beneficiaries, Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and SC/ST households across four states.
The model has now been approved for rollout in as many as 12 states and is expected to help reduce state governments’ electricity subsidy burden while improving access to clean energy for low-income households.
Building a nationwide solar ecosystem
Beyond household installations, the scheme has created a rapidly expanding ecosystem of vendors, technicians and service providers. According to the ministry, 34,219 vendors have been registered under the programme, while 29,469 vendors are currently active. It also said that more than 2.32 lakh people have been trained to support the rooftop solar value chain.
Digital-first implementation
The ministry said the entire scheme is being implemented through an integrated digital platform designed to improve transparency and reduce processing time. Key features include Jan Samarth integration for paperless loans, PFMS integration, API connectivity with over 80 DISCOMs for faster approvals, Digital Net Metering Agreements through the National Portal, a vendor star-rating framework to improve service quality and an integration with the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) portal to ensure compliance with indigenous manufacturing norms.
The government has also introduced deemed approvals and feasibility waivers for rooftop solar projects up to 10 kW, while 32 states and Union Territories have removed application and net-metering charges.
Incentives for DISCOMs and government buildings
To encourage wider adoption, the Centre has released Rs 3,807.6 crore as incentives to electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs) and around Rs 104 crore to Urban Local Bodies. A City Accelerator Programme has also been rolled out across 46 cities, while nearly 23,000 third-party quality inspections have been conducted under the vendor accountability framework.
According to the ministry, it has identified as many as 41,542 government buildings suitable for rooftop solar, with a potential capacity of 1,418 MW. Of these, 25,255 buildings, representing 872 MW, have already been solarised.
State governments have identified around 3.2 lakh buildings with a combined potential of 4,400 MW, of which 81,329 buildings with 1,450 MW capacity have already been covered. Overall, 1.06 lakh government buildings have been equipped with rooftop solar systems so far.