PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is the Government of India's flagship rooftop solar scheme, launched in early 2024 with the ambition of putting solar on one crore homes and giving households the chance to slash — or even zero out — their monthly electricity bill. It pairs a generous, upfront-tied central subsidy with a streamlined national portal that handles registration, vendor selection and subsidy disbursal in one place. This guide walks through exactly how the scheme works, who qualifies, and how to apply without getting lost in the paperwork.
What the scheme is and why it exists
Before this scheme, rooftop solar subsidies were fragmented across states and often slow to disburse. PM Surya Ghar consolidates the residential subsidy into a single national framework with a fixed, transparent Central Financial Assistance (CFA) amount per system size, paid directly into the applicant's bank account after the system is installed and commissioned. The goal is twofold: make clean power affordable for ordinary households, and reduce the subsidy burden of free/subsidised grid electricity by letting homes generate their own.
For a typical Gujarat household, the result is dramatic. With generation of roughly 120 units per kW per month, even a modest 2–3 kW system covers most or all of an average home's consumption — turning a recurring bill into a one-time, subsidised investment that pays back in a few years.
How much subsidy you get
The Central Financial Assistance is tied to system size and is capped at 3 kW:
| System size | Central subsidy (CFA) |
|---|---|
| 1 kW | ₹30,000 |
| 2 kW | ₹60,000 |
| 3 kW and above | ₹78,000 (capped) |
So a 5 kW system still receives only the ₹78,000 cap — the subsidy does not keep scaling above 3 kW. Many states also layer on an additional state subsidy, and the exact amounts plus any state top-up evolve over time, so always confirm the current figures against the latest MNRE notification and your DISCOM's circular before signing. Some states and discoms also offer collateral-free, low-interest loans for the balance amount, which can make the system effectively cash-flow positive from day one.
Who is eligible
The scheme is designed for residential consumers. To qualify you generally need:
- To be an Indian residential household that owns the roof (or has documented rights to install on it).
- A valid electricity connection in the applicant's name, with the consumer number you will enter on the portal.
- No subsidy already claimed on the same premises under this or an earlier rooftop scheme.
- Use of DCR (Domestic Content Requirement) modules — subsidised systems must use solar panels manufactured in India to the DCR standard (more on this below).
Commercial and industrial premises are not covered by this residential scheme — they have their own routes such as accelerated depreciation and, for larger sites, open access. If you run a factory or commercial building, see our guides on commercial and industrial solar in Surat and the ROI of commercial solar instead.
The DCR requirement explained
PM Surya Ghar subsidy is only payable on systems built with DCR-compliant modules — panels whose cells and modules are made in India. This supports domestic manufacturing and is a hard condition of the subsidy, not a preference. Non-DCR (often imported) modules may be marginally cheaper or higher in raw efficiency, but choosing them forfeits the subsidy entirely. For a subsidised home system, DCR is the only sensible choice. We break down the full difference, including when non-DCR makes sense for non-subsidised projects, in our DCR vs non-DCR panels guide. It is also worth checking that your modules are ALMM-listed — see our note on the ALMM List-2 solar cells for 2026.
How to apply — step by step
The process runs through the national PM Surya Ghar portal, and a registered vendor like SilInfra can carry most of the load for you:
- Register on the portal — enter your state, DISCOM (in Gujarat, typically Torrent Power or GUVNL/GEB), consumer number and mobile number, then log in.
- Submit the rooftop application — provide your basic details and the system size you want.
- Wait for DISCOM feasibility approval — the DISCOM confirms that your connection and area can support the proposed system.
- Choose a registered vendor — select an empanelled installer (SilInfra is a registered vendor) and finalise the design and quote.
- Installation — the vendor installs the plant using DCR modules and ALMM-listed equipment, fabricates the mounting and completes the wiring.
- Apply for net metering — submit the net-metering request; the DISCOM installs a bi-directional meter.
- Inspection and commissioning — the DISCOM inspects and commissions the plant.
- Submit bank details and claim subsidy — once commissioned, upload your bank details on the portal; the subsidy is credited directly to your account, typically within a few weeks of commissioning.
As a registered vendor we manage the entire journey — portal paperwork, DISCOM liaison, design, a clean DCR install, net-metering and the subsidy claim — so you deal with one team, not five departments.
Expected timeline
The end-to-end timeline depends mostly on DISCOM processing rather than installation, which is quick:
| Stage | Indicative time |
|---|---|
| Portal registration & application | 1–2 days |
| DISCOM feasibility approval | 1–3 weeks |
| Installation (once approved) | A few days |
| Net-meter installation & inspection | 1–3 weeks |
| Subsidy credit after commissioning | A few weeks |
In practice, allow roughly 4–8 weeks from application to a commissioned, subsidy-claimed system, with the variability driven by DISCOM queues. These are indicative ranges — confirm against current DISCOM service levels.
For housing societies and group housing
PM Surya Ghar also supports Group Housing Societies (GHS) and Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) for common-area loads — lifts, water pumps, lighting in lobbies and parking, and other shared infrastructure. A separate CFA provision applies for these common facilities (commonly quoted around ₹18,000 per kW for the common-area portion, subject to a cap), distinct from the individual-home slabs above. Because society installations involve shared metering, sanction from the managing committee and often larger system sizes, they benefit from professional project management. If your society is exploring this, the exact per-kW assistance and cap should be verified against the latest MNRE/DISCOM notification, as these provisions are periodically revised.
Frequently asked questions
Is the electricity actually free?
Not literally free, but a well-sized system can reduce your bill to near zero. With net metering, daytime surplus offsets night-time consumption, and many households end up paying only fixed charges. The "muft bijli" comes from the system paying for itself in a few years and then generating for two decades.
Can I claim the subsidy if I already have solar?
No. The subsidy is for a new installation on premises that have not previously claimed a rooftop subsidy. If you are expanding an existing system, the additional capacity is generally not eligible.
Do I have to use Indian-made panels?
Yes — to receive the subsidy your system must use DCR (made-in-India) modules. This is a non-negotiable condition of the scheme.
How big a system should I get?
Size it to your annual consumption. In Gujarat, each kW generates roughly 1,400–1,500 units a year, so a home using ~350 units a month is well served by about 3 kW. Our calculator sizes it from your actual bill.
What if my DISCOM is slow to approve?
Delays at the DISCOM stage are the most common cause of a longer timeline. A registered vendor who deals with Torrent Power and GEB regularly can chase approvals and net-metering on your behalf, which is exactly what we do.
Ready to claim your subsidy?
PM Surya Ghar makes residential solar more affordable than it has ever been — but the paperwork, DISCOM coordination and DCR sourcing reward working with an experienced, registered vendor. We handle the whole journey end to end. Talk to us to start your application, or estimate your savings and subsidy first. SilInfra Solar — Your Power Partner.