The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana pays Indian homeowners up to Rs 78,000 towards a rooftop solar system, and in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh a state top-up can push that past Rs 1 lakh. The scheme is genuinely straightforward, but a meaningful share of applications get delayed or rejected on avoidable technicalities. Here is the actual sequence, and where people trip. Step one, register on the national portal. Everything runs through pmsuryaghar.gov.in. You will need your electricity consumer number, which is printed on your bill, your mobile number and your Aadhaar-linked bank details. The subsidy is paid by direct benefit transfer to that account, so make sure the name matches. There is also a toll-free helpline on 15555 if you get stuck. Step two, apply for feasibility approval. Your DISCOM checks whether your connection can support the system you want. This normally takes between one week and a month depending on the state and whether your documents are in order. Do this before you commit to an installer. Applying for feasibility after installation is one of the more expensive mistakes possible under this scheme. Step three, choose a registered vendor. This is the requirement that quietly disqualifies the most people. Your installer must be registered on the PM Surya Ghar portal. If you buy panels yourself from a shop, or use an unregistered local electrician however skilled, you receive nothing. Ask any prospective installer for their portal registration and verify it rather than taking their word. Step four, confirm the panels are DCR-compliant. The scheme requires modules meeting domestic content requirements. A quote using cheaper imported panels may look attractive and will cost you the entire subsidy. Get the exact module make and model in writing on the quotation. Step five, install and apply for net metering. Your installer handles the physical work, then applies for a net meter. Net metering is what makes grid-tied solar pay, because surplus you export is credited against what you import. In Haryana this sits under the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission and applies to both UHBVN and DHBVN. In Uttar Pradesh it runs through UPNEDA and the local DISCOM, with net metering allowed up to your sanctioned load. Check that net-metering liaison is included in your installer's scope, because some quotes exclude it. Step six, DISCOM inspection and commissioning. An official inspects the installation and, if satisfied, commissions it. The inspection report is then uploaded to the portal. Nothing moves until this happens. Step seven, the money arrives. Subsidy is credited by direct transfer typically 30 to 45 days after the commissioning report goes up. If it has been considerably longer than that, the portal has application tracking and the helpline can tell you where it is stuck. The eligibility rules worth knowing before you start. The scheme is for residential consumers, so a commercial connection does not qualify. It is one subsidy per address and per connection, meaning if a previous owner claimed it on your property you generally cannot claim again, and adding capacity later at the same address usually will not qualify twice. Group housing societies and RWAs have their own provision, at around Rs 18,000 per kW for common facilities including EV charging, up to fairly large capacities. If you need to finance it. There is a collateral-free loan facility of up to Rs 2 lakh at around 7 per cent through a number of public sector banks. On a Rs 1.3 lakh loan over five years that works out near Rs 2,600 a month, which for many households is less than the electricity bill the system replaces. Non-bank lenders approve faster but charge noticeably more, so the bank route is usually worth the extra few weeks if you are borrowing. One honest caveat. Subsidy amounts, state top-ups and process details do change. Everything here was accurate in mid-2026, but verify the current position on pmsuryaghar.gov.in before you sign anything. Treat any installer who is vague about portal registration, DCR panels or the feasibility step as a warning sign rather than a bargain.
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Last updated 24 July 2026 · Reviewed by the RenSetu team