75 Lakh Households to Get Rooftop Solar by December 2026 Under PM Surya Ghar Yojana: Pralhad Joshi
Union Minister launches PM Surya Ghar logo and WhatsApp bot; Utility-Linked Aggregation Model to drive solar adoption among underserved households
Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, announced that the government is targeting rooftop solar installations in 75 lakh households by December 2026 under the flagship PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Speaking at an event marking two years of the scheme, the Minister highlighted the remarkable progress achieved so far, with more than 40 lakh beneficiary households already covered.
PM Surya Ghar Crosses 40 Lakh Beneficiaries
Participating in a fireside chat during the event titled “Two Years of PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: Scaling the Solar Home to 1 Crore Rooftops”, Joshi expressed confidence that the scheme would surpass the 75 lakh household milestone by the end of 2026.
To further accelerate implementation, particularly among underserved sections, the Minister unveiled the Utility-Linked Aggregation (ULA) Model. Under this framework, nearly 30 lakh rooftop solar installations have already been planned across various states, with electricity utilities playing a central role in facilitating installations and improving execution efficiency.
Record Growth in Rooftop Solar Adoption
The Minister noted that India’s solar growth has accelerated dramatically in recent years. While the country took 96 months to install its first 50 GW of solar capacity, the next 50 GW was added in just 36 months. Growth from 100 GW to 150 GW required only 14 months.
Highlighting the scheme’s momentum, Joshi said May 2026 recorded the highest-ever monthly performance since the programme’s launch, with:
- 3.16 lakh rooftop solar installations completed in a single month
- Nearly 15,000 households added in one day
- Over 65 lakh applications currently in the pipeline
He added that the time required to add one lakh beneficiary households has fallen from 118 days to less than eight days.
₹22,750 Crore Subsidy Released
According to the Minister, more than ₹22,750 crore has been disbursed as subsidies under the scheme, including ₹2,743 crore during May 2026 alone. The initiative has also helped over 17 lakh households achieve zero electricity bills, generating significant savings for families.
“PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is creating one of the world’s largest residential solar markets while advancing India’s clean energy transition and energy self-reliance,” Joshi said.
Strengthening Energy Security
Referring to ongoing global energy uncertainties arising from the West Asia crisis, Joshi said rooftop solar expansion is enhancing India’s energy security and strategic resilience. Monthly rooftop solar installations have surged from around 7,000 before the scheme’s launch to over 3 lakh today.
Looking ahead, he said the government plans to integrate Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as storage costs decline and expand adoption through the Model Solar Village Initiative.
PM Surya Ghar Logo and WhatsApp Bot Launched
During the event, the Minister launched the official PM Surya Ghar logo and a dedicated WhatsApp bot to improve citizen engagement and facilitate access to scheme-related information.
He also presented PM Surya Ghar Awards to top-performing States, Union Territories, DISCOMs, banks, vendors and other stakeholders, including outstanding performers of the “Month of Solar” campaign conducted in May 2026.
CEEW Reports Highlight Job Creation Potential
The Minister released two reports prepared by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water:
- What Drives Rooftop Solar Installation Decisions in Indian Homes? Understanding Household Decision Making through a Pan-India Survey
- Maximising Rooftop Solar Performance by Enabling a Robust O&M Ecosystem – A Multi-Billion Market Opportunity in India’s Residential RTS Segment
The reports highlighted the importance of strengthening operations and maintenance ecosystems and projected the creation of more than 3.3 lakh jobs annually as rooftop solar deployment expands.
World’s Largest Residential Rooftop Solar Programme
Launched on February 13, 2024, with an outlay of ₹75,021 crore, PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has emerged as the world’s largest residential rooftop solar programme.
Key achievements as of May 2026 include:
- More than 1 crore household registrations
- Over 33 lakh rooftop solar systems installed
- More than 12 GW rooftop solar capacity added
- Rooftop solar accounting for nearly 45% of residential solar capacity
- Deployment growth of 85% during 2024–2026
The scheme is expected to contribute significantly towards India’s target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, while reducing subsidy burdens on power distribution companies and improving energy access nationwide.
