Subsidy12 min read
Applying on the PM Surya Ghar Portal in 2026, Step by Step
The six portal stages from registration to money in the bank, how long each one really takes, and the four mistakes that cost applicants the subsidy.
Published · Updated
Quick summary
PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana pays residential electricity consumers ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third, capped at ₹78,000 for any system of 3 kW or above. It is a reimbursement, not a discount — you fund the full system and the money is credited to your bank account roughly 30 days after the commissioning certificate is issued. The sequence is fixed: register, get DISCOM feasibility approval, install through a registered vendor, apply for net metering, pass inspection, then submit bank details. Installing before approval is the single most expensive mistake you can make.
Key takeaways
- Slabs: ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW, ₹18,000 for the third, hard cap ₹78,000 at 3 kW and above.
- A 10 kW residential system receives exactly the same ₹78,000 as a 3 kW one — the subsidy does not scale.
- Residential domestic connections only. Shops, guest houses, factories and commercial tariffs are not eligible.
- It is a reimbursement. Budget the gross cost; the money arrives after commissioning.
- Installation must follow feasibility approval and be done by a vendor registered with your DISCOM.
- Modules must be ALMM-listed and balance of system BIS-certified, or the claim can fail after you have paid.
- Housing societies and RWAs get ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, including EV charging, up to 500 kW.
- Collateral-free loans up to ₹2 lakh at concessional rates are available for residential systems up to 3 kW.
The ₹78,000 figure is now well known in Jaipur. What is much less well understood is the shape of the scheme behind it — that the subsidy stops growing at 3 kW, that it arrives months after you have paid, and that the order of the steps is not negotiable.
Every week we meet households in Jaipur, Chomu and Shahpura who have done something in the wrong order: installed before feasibility approval, used a vendor not registered with their distribution company, or bought modules that turn out not to be ALMM-listed. Each of those can invalidate the claim after the money has already been spent, and none of them is recoverable afterwards.
This guide covers the 2026 mechanics end to end: exactly what you get, exactly who qualifies, the six-step portal process, realistic timelines for JVVNL, AVVNL and JdVVNL areas, and the four failure modes that account for most rejected claims. All figures should be verified against pmsuryaghar.gov.in and MNRE notifications before you commit — subsidy rates are set by government and can be revised.
How much is the PM Surya Ghar subsidy in 2026?
₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third kilowatt, with a hard cap at ₹78,000. So ₹30,000 for a 1 kW system, ₹60,000 for 2 kW and ₹78,000 for 3 kW or anything larger. Housing societies and resident welfare associations receive ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, including EV charging, up to 500 kW.
The structural point most people miss: the subsidy stops at 3 kW. A household installing 10 kW receives the same ₹78,000 as one installing 3 kW. That is why 3 kW is the most-installed residential capacity in India — it is precisely where the scheme stops paying more, and every kilowatt beyond it must be justified by your own consumption rather than by government assistance.
| System size | Subsidy | Indicative installed cost | Indicative net cost | Annual generation (Jaipur) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kW | ₹30,000 | ₹65,000–₹85,000 | ₹35,000–₹55,000 | ~1,600 units |
| 2 kW | ₹60,000 | ₹1,20,000–₹1,55,000 | ₹60,000–₹95,000 | ~3,200 units |
| 3 kW | ₹78,000 | ₹1,70,000–₹2,15,000 | ₹92,000–₹1,37,000 | ~4,800 units |
| 5 kW | ₹78,000 | ₹2,70,000–₹3,40,000 | ₹1,92,000–₹2,62,000 | ~8,000 units |
| 10 kW | ₹78,000 | ₹5,00,000–₹6,20,000 | ₹4,22,000–₹5,42,000 | ~16,000 units |
| RWA / society common facilities | ₹18,000 per kW, up to 500 kW | Varies by project | Varies | ~1,600 units per kW |
Subsidy figures as notified under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Rates are set by MNRE and can be revised — verify current amounts at pmsuryaghar.gov.in before committing to a system size. Cost bands are indicative for the Jaipur region and are confirmed only after a site survey.
Who is eligible for the subsidy?
Four conditions must all be met: you are an Indian citizen; you own the house where the system will be installed; the household has a valid domestic electricity connection with the local DISCOM; and you have not already claimed another central solar subsidy on that connection. The scheme covers residential consumers only.
The eligibility test that catches most people out is the connection type rather than the citizenship or ownership requirements. PM Surya Ghar covers domestic connections. A shop with a commercial tariff does not qualify, even if the owner lives above it. Nor does a guest house, a small workshop, or a farmhouse on an agricultural connection.
If your connection is commercial, the solar case still works — it simply rests on displacing units at a higher commercial tariff and, for a business, on accelerated depreciation. In most cases that combination outperforms the residential subsidy within two years.
Documents you will need
Gather these before signing anything. Chasing them later is the most common self-inflicted delay in the whole process.
- Latest electricity bill showing consumer number and sanctioned load
- Proof of property ownership in the applicant's name
- Identity proof (Aadhaar) and address proof
- Passport-size photograph
- Bank account details and a cancelled cheque for the subsidy credit
- Mobile number and email linked to the portal registration
The sanctioned load check nobody does first
Permitted system capacity is tied to the sanctioned load printed on your bill. An application for 5 kW against a 3 kW sanctioned load will be returned by the DISCOM, weeks later.
Check this before agreeing a capacity with any installer. Where a load enhancement is needed, it should be filed as a planned parallel step, not discovered after a rejection.
The six-step application process
Register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in, apply for feasibility approval from your DISCOM, install through a registered vendor after approval, apply for net metering, pass the DISCOM inspection to obtain the commissioning certificate, then submit bank details to receive the subsidy — typically within about 30 days.
The order is fixed and the portal enforces it. Every step below depends on the previous one having completed properly.
Steps 1–3: register, approve, install
Registration takes minutes: state, DISCOM, consumer number, mobile and email. You then apply for the capacity you want, and the DISCOM verifies it against your sanctioned load and issues feasibility approval.
Only after that approval may installation begin, and it must be carried out by a vendor registered with your specific DISCOM using ALMM-listed modules and BIS-certified balance of system.
Step 1 — Register
- Create the account on pmsuryaghar.gov.in with your DISCOM and consumer number.
Step 2 — Apply and get feasibility approval
- Typically two to four weeks. The DISCOM checks capacity against sanctioned load.
Step 3 — Install through a registered vendor
- Two to four days on the roof for a residential system. Never before approval.
Steps 4–6: net meter, inspect, get paid
Plant details go onto the portal and a net-meter application is submitted to the DISCOM. The installation is then physically inspected, and the portal issues a commissioning certificate.
Bank details and a cancelled cheque are uploaded last. The subsidy is credited directly to that account, typically within about 30 days.
Step 4 — Apply for net metering
- One to three weeks for the application and meter installation.
Step 5 — Inspection and commissioning certificate
- One to two weeks depending on your divisional office.
Step 6 — Submit bank details
- Subsidy credited in roughly 30 days. Total journey: ten to fourteen weeks from signing.
The four mistakes that cost people the subsidy
Installing before feasibility approval; using a vendor not registered with your DISCOM; using modules that are not ALMM-listed or components that are not BIS-certified; and applying for capacity above your sanctioned load. Each is avoidable and each can invalidate a claim after the money is spent.
- Installing first and applying later — the portal sequence cannot be reverse-engineered, and this is unrecoverable
- A vendor 'registered' in general but not with your specific DISCOM — JVVNL registration does not help you in an AVVNL area
- Non-ALMM modules or non-BIS balance of system, which can fail the claim at inspection stage
- Capacity above sanctioned load, which gets the feasibility application returned
- Treating the subsidy as a discount and budgeting only the net figure — you must fund the gross amount
- Bank details in a name that does not match the applicant, which stalls the credit
How long does the subsidy actually take to arrive?
About 30 days from submitting bank details, which happens after the inspection and commissioning certificate. In practice the whole journey from signing a contract to money in your account runs ten to fourteen weeks, with most of the calendar consumed by DISCOM feasibility approval, net-meter sanction and inspection scheduling.
| Stage | Typical duration | Controlled by |
|---|---|---|
| Portal registration and application | 1–3 days | You and your installer |
| DISCOM feasibility approval | 2–4 weeks | DISCOM |
| Installation | 2–4 days | Installer |
| Net-meter application and installation | 1–3 weeks | DISCOM |
| Inspection and commissioning certificate | 1–2 weeks | DISCOM |
| Bank details submitted to subsidy credited | ~30 days | National portal |
| Total | 10–14 weeks | Mostly DISCOM |
Durations observed across JVVNL, AVVNL and JdVVNL areas in 2026. Financial year-end and major festival periods slow approvals noticeably.
Financing: the ₹2 lakh collateral-free loan
The scheme provides for collateral-free loans of up to ₹2 lakh at concessional interest rates for residential rooftop systems up to 3 kW, available through banks integrated with the national portal. This matters because the subsidy is a reimbursement — the loan bridges the gap between paying for the system and receiving the money back.
For a 3 kW system costing ₹1.7–2.15 lakh installed, the loan can cover essentially the whole gross cost. The ₹78,000 subsidy then arrives after commissioning and can be used to prepay a large chunk of the principal.
Terms, eligibility and participating banks vary and change — check the current position on the portal rather than relying on any installer's summary, including ours.
Pros and cons at a glance
What the scheme does well
- ₹78,000 covers a large share of a 3 kW system — often close to 40% of installed cost
- Money is paid directly into your bank account, not through the installer
- Concessional collateral-free loans up to ₹2 lakh for systems up to 3 kW
- A single national portal handles the whole process across all states
- Housing societies get separate provision at ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities
What to plan around
- The subsidy is capped at ₹78,000 — larger systems get nothing extra
- It is a reimbursement, so you must fund the gross cost up front
- Residential domestic connections only; commercial and agricultural are excluded
- The sequence is rigid and installing early is unrecoverable
- Ten to fourteen weeks from signing to credited money, mostly DISCOM process time
Common mistakes to avoid
Installing before approval
The single most expensive error. Feasibility approval must precede installation, and the portal sequence cannot be reconstructed afterwards.
Budgeting the net figure
You pay the full amount and are reimbursed after commissioning. Arrange finance for the gross cost.
Assuming subsidy scales with size
It stops at ₹78,000. Any capacity beyond 3 kW must be justified by your own consumption.
Unverified vendor registration
Ask which DISCOM the installer is registered with, by name. Registration elsewhere in Rajasthan does not transfer.
Not checking ALMM listing
Modules must be ALMM-listed and balance of system BIS-certified. Get the exact make and model in the proposal.
Mismatched bank details
The account must be in the applicant's name and match the portal record, or the credit stalls indefinitely.
Frequently asked questions
How much subsidy do I get under PM Surya Ghar in 2026?
₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third, capped at ₹78,000. So ₹30,000 at 1 kW, ₹60,000 at 2 kW, and ₹78,000 for any system of 3 kW or larger. Housing societies receive ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities up to 500 kW.
Is the PM Surya Ghar subsidy a discount or a reimbursement?
A reimbursement. You fund the entire system cost, and the subsidy is credited directly to your bank account after the plant is commissioned and inspected — typically within about 30 days of submitting bank details. Anyone quoting a price 'after subsidy' at the point of sale is describing the process inaccurately.
Who is eligible for PM Surya Ghar?
Indian citizens who own the house where the system is installed, hold a valid domestic electricity connection with their DISCOM, have a roof structurally suitable for solar, and have not already claimed another central solar subsidy on that connection. Commercial and agricultural connections are not eligible.
Can I get more than ₹78,000 for a bigger system?
No. ₹78,000 is a hard cap for residential systems of 3 kW and above. A 10 kW system receives exactly the same amount as a 3 kW one, which is why larger capacities have to be justified by your consumption rather than by the scheme.
How long does the PM Surya Ghar subsidy take?
Roughly 30 days from submitting bank details on the portal, which happens after the DISCOM inspection and issue of the commissioning certificate. The complete journey from signing to credited money is usually ten to fourteen weeks.
Can I apply for the subsidy after installing solar?
No. The scheme requires feasibility approval before installation and installation by a vendor registered with your DISCOM. A system already commissioned outside that sequence cannot be retrofitted into a claim, and the money is not recoverable.
What is ALMM and why does it matter?
The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers is a government-maintained list of solar modules eligible for subsidised and government-linked projects. If your modules are not ALMM-listed, the claim can fail — so get the exact make and model written into your proposal rather than a brand name.
Which DISCOM do I apply through in Rajasthan?
JVVNL for Jaipur, Chomu, Govindgarh, Shahpura, Alwar, Kota, Dausa and Tonk. AVVNL for Ajmer, Kishangarh, Sikar, Neem Ka Thana, Jhunjhunu, Bhilwara and Udaipur. JdVVNL for Jodhpur, Bikaner, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Pali and Churu. Filing under the wrong one costs weeks.
Can a rented house get the subsidy?
Not by the tenant. The scheme requires the applicant to own the property where the system is installed. A landlord can apply on their own connection, but the electricity account and ownership must align with the application.
Can housing societies claim the subsidy?
Yes, under a separate provision — ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities including EV charging, up to 500 kW of capacity. Individual flat owners may also apply separately for their own connections where the roof arrangement permits it.
Is there a loan available for the balance cost?
The scheme provides for collateral-free loans of up to ₹2 lakh at concessional rates for residential systems up to 3 kW, through banks integrated with the portal. Terms and participating banks change, so check the current position on pmsuryaghar.gov.in.
Does the subsidy cover a battery or hybrid system?
The subsidy is calculated on the solar capacity installed, not on storage. Adding a battery does not increase the subsidy, and the battery cost is entirely yours. For most grid-connected Jaipur households a battery is not economically justified unless supply reliability is genuinely poor.
What if my subsidy has not arrived after 30 days?
Check the portal for the application status first — the most common causes are bank details that do not match the applicant's name, an incomplete commissioning certificate, or a document flagged for re-upload. Your installer should be chasing this on your behalf; ours does until the credit lands.
Can I claim the subsidy twice?
No. The scheme allows one central solar subsidy per eligible connection. If you expand the system later, the additional capacity does not attract a further claim.
Does 300 units of free electricity really come with it?
The scheme's stated aim is to enable participating households to receive up to 300 units of free electricity a month, which in practice means a correctly sized system generating enough to offset that consumption under net metering. It is an outcome of the generation, not a separate cash benefit — and it depends on your system being sized to your actual usage.
Should I install 3kW just to maximise the subsidy?
Only if 3 kW roughly matches your consumption. Divide your annual units by 1,600 to find the capacity that would offset your usage in the Jaipur region. If that comes to 5 kW, installing 3 kW to chase the subsidy leaves you importing at retail tariff for the next twenty-five years.
Does Dvaitam handle the subsidy application?
Yes — portal registration, the feasibility application, vendor formalities, document uploads, the net-metering application, inspection coordination and follow-through until the money reaches your account. You provide the documents and the roof.
Final verdict and expert recommendation
PM Surya Ghar is a genuinely good scheme and the arithmetic at 3 kW is hard to argue with — roughly 40% of installed cost returned, on an asset warranted for twenty-five years. The problems people run into are almost never with the subsidy itself; they are with sequence and paperwork.
Our recommendation is to do three things before you sign anything. Read the sanctioned load off your electricity bill and check it supports the capacity you want. Ask your installer, by name, which DISCOM they are registered with. And get the exact module make and model written into the proposal so you can verify the ALMM listing yourself.
Then size the system to your consumption rather than to the subsidy ceiling. The ₹78,000 is a one-time benefit; the twenty-five years of generation is the actual investment, and a system that is too small to match your usage will cost you far more in imported units than the subsidy ever saved you.
Why clients choose Dvaitam Solar
Engineering-first approach
Structural survey, seasonal shadow analysis and yield modelling before a capacity is quoted — never a catalogue picked off a price list.
Premium Tier-1 equipment
ALMM-listed modules and BIS-certified balance of system, specified against the engineering and not substituted after contract.
PM Surya Ghar assistance
Portal registration, DISCOM feasibility, net metering and inspection filed and chased until the subsidy is credited.
End-to-end EPC execution
Design, supply, civil, electrical, testing and commissioning under one scope and one accountable team.
Professional installation
Method statements, quality records captured as work proceeds, and measured commissioning tests rather than a switch-on.
Long-term support
Monitoring configured at handover, a documented O&M pack and a performance baseline you can hold the plant to in year five.
Next steps
Related reading
- SubsidyPM Surya Ghar: Who Qualifies and How Much You Actually GetEligibility rules, the exact slab arithmetic, housing-society rates and the document checklist — everything to settle before you touch the portal.
- InstallationHow Long Does Solar Installation Take in India? A Realistic TimelineThe roof work takes days. The whole project takes weeks. Here is exactly where the calendar goes and which delays you can control.
- Cost & ROI10kW Solar System Cost in India: The 2026 Full BreakdownWhere every rupee goes in a 10kW installation, why two quotes differ by ₹1.2 lakh, and what the system actually returns over 25 years.
Browse every guide in the Dvaitam solar knowledge base.
Have a question this guide did not answer?
Send us your electricity bill and the details of your site. An engineer will come back with the specifics for your property — capacity, generation, subsidy position and realistic payback — at no cost.