PM Surya Ghar Rooftop Solar Scheme
What the scheme is, who it is intended for, and how the application and subsidy process actually works, explained without overstating what anyone can promise you.
What the scheme is
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is a central government scheme intended to increase rooftop solar adoption among residential electricity consumers in India. It provides central financial assistance towards the cost of a grid-connected rooftop system, and routes the whole process, from application and feasibility approval to installation reporting, inspection and subsidy release, through a single national portal, with your electricity distribution company involved at the approval and metering stages.
The important structural point is that the assistance goes to you, the consumer, after the system is commissioned. It is not a discount the installer applies to the invoice, and no installer controls whether or when it is released.
Who it is intended for
- Residential electricity consumers with a valid connection in their own name
- Applicants who own the roof or have the right to install on it
- Properties with adequate shadow-free roof area for the intended capacity
- Connections that have not already received assistance for a solar system
Commercial, industrial and institutional consumers fall outside the residential subsidy component, but can still install rooftop solar under the applicable net metering rules for their category.
How the subsidy is structured
Under the scheme's Central Financial Assistance component for residential consumers, assistance is calculated as a share of the system cost at government benchmark prices: ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW, plus ₹18,000 for the additional 1 kW up to 3 kW. No further central assistance applies above 3 kW, so the maximum for a residential system is ₹78,000.
At the benchmark prices published for the scheme, that structure works out as follows.
| System capacity | Central financial assistance |
|---|---|
| 1 kW | ₹30,000 |
| 2 kW | ₹60,000 |
| 3 kW and above | ₹78,000 (maximum) |
Eligible residential consumers may receive Central Financial Assistance under PM Surya Ghar, subject to the scheme's eligibility requirements, approved process, applicable benchmark conditions and portal and DISCOM requirements. The maximum for a residential system is ₹78,000. Not every customer receives the maximum, and some receive none.
- • Eligibility is determined by the government and your DISCOM under the applicable scheme rules, not by Kapizo Solar, and not by the fact that a system has been installed.
- • Contacting or appointing Kapizo Solar does not secure, guarantee or accelerate any subsidy.
- • Assistance is released after the application, DISCOM feasibility approval, installation to the applicable technical specifications, inspection and document verification.
- • The scheme routes the balance payment through an empanelled vendor. Kapizo Solar does not currently claim empanelment, so confirm the vendor requirements on the official portal before committing to any installer, including us.
- • Amounts, eligibility and procedure are set by the government and can be revised at any time. Verify the current position on the official portal before making a financial decision.
Project price, assistance and what you actually pay
Three separate figures are involved and they are easy to mix up. The project price is what the system costs, and it depends on your site and specification. The Central Financial Assistance is a government amount you may be eligible for, decided by the government and your DISCOM. What you finally pay is the project price less any assistance actually approved and released to you. We quote the project price. We cannot quote the other two, and neither can any installer.
About empanelled vendors, please read
Under the scheme's operational guidelines, the consumer pays the balance amount, the system cost less the assistance, to the bank account of an empanelled vendor, after successful installation and verification by the DISCOM.
Kapizo Solar is not currently claiming empanelment under this scheme. We are telling you this plainly because it affects you: if the central financial assistance route matters to your decision, confirm the vendor requirements on the official portal and with your DISCOM before you commit to any installer, including us. We would rather lose an enquiry than have you discover this after signing.
Rooftop solar remains worth installing outside the assistance route. It still reduces your bill and still qualifies for net metering under the normal DISCOM process. But that is a different calculation, and you should make it with accurate information.
The application journey
- 1
Register on the national portal
Applications are made through the official PM Surya Ghar portal. You register with your electricity consumer number, your distribution company and your mobile number.
- 2
Apply for feasibility approval
Your DISCOM reviews the application for technical feasibility on your connection before installation begins.
- 3
Get the system installed
Once approved, the rooftop system is installed. The scheme requires the installation to meet the applicable technical specifications.
- 4
Submit installation details and apply for net metering
Plant details are submitted on the portal and a net metering application is raised with the DISCOM.
- 5
Inspection and commissioning certificate
The DISCOM inspects the installation and, once satisfied, issues a commissioning certificate through the portal.
- 6
Submit bank details for subsidy credit
After commissioning, you submit your bank account details and a cancelled cheque on the portal. The subsidy is credited directly to your bank account.
Where Kapizo Solar fits in
We handle the technical side: assessing your roof, designing a system that meets the applicable specifications, installing and commissioning it properly, and assisting with the documentation you need to submit. Approvals, inspection and subsidy release are decisions made by the DISCOM and the government, not by us, and we will always be clear about that boundary.
We do not claim empanelled or authorised vendor status under the scheme. If a particular step requires a registered vendor, we will tell you plainly what that means for your application rather than leaving it vague.
Verify on official sources
Always confirm current eligibility, amounts and process on the official government sources rather than on any installer's website, including ours:
- PM Surya Ghar scheme notification (PDF)The official notification setting out the residential Central Financial Assistance structure quoted on this page.
- pmsuryaghar.gov.inThe official national portal for registration, application status and current scheme terms.
- MNRE Operational Guidelines: Central Financial Assistance to Residential ConsumersThe operational guidelines governing the residential CFA component.
- MNRE Guidelines for PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli YojanaMinistry of New and Renewable Energy scheme guidelines.
- MNRE Grid Connected Rooftop Solar ProgrammeProgramme background and related notices.
Where this page states figures, they reflect the scheme structure published by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Government of India press releases. We summarise in our own words rather than reproducing government text. If anything on this page conflicts with the official sources above, the official sources govern.
Common questions
What is PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana?
It is a central government scheme to promote rooftop solar for residential electricity consumers in India. It provides central financial assistance towards the cost of a grid-connected rooftop solar system, applied for through a single national portal, with the distribution company handling feasibility approval, inspection and net metering. The scheme is administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Who is the scheme intended for?
It is intended for residential electricity consumers who own the property or have the right to install on the roof, hold a valid electricity connection in their own name, and do not already have a subsidised solar system on the same connection. Commercial, industrial and institutional consumers are generally outside the residential subsidy component, though they can still install rooftop solar under normal net metering rules.
How much subsidy is available under PM Surya Ghar?
Under the residential Central Financial Assistance component, assistance is ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW, plus ₹18,000 for the additional 1 kW up to 3 kW. No further central assistance applies above 3 kW, so the maximum for a residential system is ₹78,000. At published benchmark prices that works out to approximately ₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW, ₹78,000 for 3 kW and above. Eligible residential consumers may receive Central Financial Assistance under PM Surya Ghar, subject to the scheme's eligibility requirements, approved process, applicable benchmark conditions and portal and DISCOM requirements. The maximum for a residential system is ₹78,000. Not every customer receives the maximum, and some receive none. Verify the current position on the official portal before making a financial decision.
How does the rooftop solar subsidy actually reach me?
It is not a discount applied by the installer. Under the scheme, the consumer pays the balance amount to an empanelled vendor after successful installation and DISCOM verification, and the assistance is released after the DISCOM inspection and document verification, credited directly to the applicant's bank account. Eligibility and release are determined by the government and your DISCOM under the applicable scheme rules. Contacting any installer, including us, does not secure or guarantee assistance.
Does the subsidy cover battery or hybrid systems?
The residential component of the scheme is directed at grid-connected rooftop solar. Battery storage and off-grid components are treated differently and are generally not covered by the same assistance. If you want backup, we will explain clearly which part of your system would and would not fall within the scheme.
How long does the subsidy take to arrive?
The subsidy is processed after commissioning and after your bank details are submitted on the portal. The timeline depends on the DISCOM inspection, the portal processing and the disbursement cycle, so we do not promise a specific date. Anyone guaranteeing you an exact credit date is overstating what they control.
Is Kapizo Solar an empanelled or authorised vendor for the scheme?
No, and we are not claiming to be. This matters to you: under the scheme's operational guidelines the consumer pays the balance amount to an empanelled vendor after installation and DISCOM verification. If the Central Financial Assistance route is important to your decision, confirm the current vendor requirements on the official portal and with your DISCOM before committing to any installer, including us. Rooftop solar still reduces your bill and still qualifies for net metering outside the assistance route, but that is a different calculation and you should make it with accurate information.
Need help understanding your eligibility?
Send us your electricity bill and we will walk you through what applies to your connection, what the process would involve and what we can assist with.
Considering rooftop solar under the scheme?
Start with the system size you actually need. The subsidy follows the capacity, so sizing correctly is the first decision.