The Government of India has announced that the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has surpassed the milestone of 40 lakh beneficiary households, marking rapid progress in the country’s rooftop solar adoption drive. The scheme is now targeting the installation of rooftop solar systems in 75 lakh households by December 2026, according to Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi.
Speaking at an event commemorating two years of the flagship programme in New Delhi, the minister highlighted the remarkable growth achieved since the scheme’s launch in February 2024. Rooftop solar installations, which previously averaged around 7,000 per month, have now surged to more than three lakh installations in May 2026 alone, reflecting a significant acceleration in residential solar adoption across the country.
The minister noted that installation efficiency has also improved dramatically. While it previously took approximately 118 days to add one lakh beneficiary households, the same milestone is now being achieved in less than eight days. On some days, more than 15,000 rooftop solar systems were installed across the country.
The PM Surya Ghar initiative has been designed to promote clean energy generation at the household level while reducing electricity expenses for families. The scheme particularly benefits households with electricity requirements ranging between 1 kW and 3 kW, enabling wider access to affordable renewable energy solutions.
According to government data, more than Rs 22,750 crore in subsidies has been disbursed under the scheme since its inception. Of this amount, Rs 2,743 crore was released during May 2026 alone, reflecting the growing pace of installations and beneficiary participation.
One of the most significant outcomes of the programme has been its impact on household electricity bills. The government reported that over 17 lakh households have already achieved zero electricity bills through rooftop solar generation, helping families reduce their monthly energy expenses while contributing to cleaner power production.
The scheme’s success has been driven largely by a handful of states. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala currently account for more than 70 percent of the country’s installed rooftop solar capacity under the programme.
In addition, approximately 30 lakh rooftop solar installations have already been planned across various states through the Utility-Linked Aggregation model, which aims to streamline implementation and accelerate deployment.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy plans to strengthen the initiative by integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) into residential solar setups. The government also intends to expand adoption through the Model Solar Village initiative, encouraging wider participation in renewable energy generation.
Launched with an outlay of Rs 75,000 crore, the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana aims to provide rooftop solar systems to one crore households by March 2027. The programme forms an important part of India’s broader clean energy strategy and its goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030.
