Subsidy9 min read
PM Surya Ghar: Who Qualifies and How Much You Actually Get
Eligibility rules, the exact slab arithmetic, housing-society rates and the document checklist — everything to settle before you touch the portal.
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Key takeaways
- PM Surya Ghar pays ₹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 for residential consumers only. Commercial, industrial and institutional connections are not eligible.
- You pay the full system cost up front; the subsidy is credited to your bank account after commissioning, typically within about 30 days of submitting bank details.
- Installation must be done by a vendor registered with your DISCOM, using ALMM-listed modules and BIS-certified components.
- Collateral-free loans of up to ₹2 lakh at concessional rates are available for residential systems up to 3 kW through banks integrated with the portal.
PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is the central government's residential rooftop solar scheme, and it is the single largest reason home solar economics changed in India. It pays a fixed central financial assistance directly into the applicant's bank account after the system is commissioned — up to ₹78,000 — and aims to give participating households up to 300 units of free electricity a month.
The scheme is straightforward on paper and tedious in practice. The subsidy amounts are simple arithmetic; the process involves a national portal, your distribution company, a registered vendor, a net meter and an inspection, in a specific order. This guide covers both.
How much subsidy you actually get
The central financial assistance is structured per kilowatt, with a hard ceiling. You receive ₹30,000 for each of the first two kilowatts and ₹18,000 for the third. Nothing beyond that.
So a 1 kW system claims ₹30,000, a 2 kW system claims ₹60,000, and a 3 kW system claims ₹78,000. A 5 kW system also claims ₹78,000. So does a 10 kW system. This is why 3 kW is the most-installed residential capacity in India — it is exactly where the scheme stops paying more.
Housing societies and resident welfare associations are treated separately: ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, including EV charging, up to 500 kW of capacity.
- 1 kW — ₹30,000
- 2 kW — ₹60,000
- 3 kW and above — ₹78,000, and no more regardless of system size
- Group housing societies and RWAs — ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, up to 500 kW
Who is eligible
Four conditions have to be met together. You must be an Indian citizen; you must own the house where the system is installed; the household must have a valid electricity connection with the local DISCOM; and you must not already have claimed any other central subsidy for solar on that connection.
The eligibility test that catches people out is the connection type. The scheme covers domestic connections. A shop, a guest house, a small factory or a building on a commercial tariff does not qualify, even if a family lives above it. If your connection is commercial, the solar case still works — it simply rests on displacing units at a higher commercial tariff rather than on the subsidy.
The application process, step by step
Applications run through the national portal at pmsuryaghar.gov.in. The order matters, and skipping ahead — most commonly by installing before feasibility approval — is the fastest way to lose the subsidy entirely.
1. Register and apply
Create an account with your state, DISCOM, consumer number, mobile number and email, then submit the application for the capacity you want. The DISCOM returns a feasibility approval against your existing connection and sanctioned load.
2. Install through a registered vendor
Once feasibility is approved, the plant must be installed by a vendor registered with your DISCOM, using ALMM-listed modules and BIS-certified balance of system. Installing first and applying afterwards does not work.
3. Net meter, inspection, certificate
Plant details are submitted on the portal, a net meter is applied for through the DISCOM, the installation is inspected, and the portal then issues a commissioning certificate.
4. Submit bank details and receive the subsidy
Upload your bank details and a cancelled cheque on the portal. The subsidy is credited directly to the account, typically within about 30 days of the commissioning certificate.
What most people get wrong
Three mistakes account for the majority of delayed or failed claims. The first is applying for a capacity the sanctioned load will not support, which gets the feasibility application returned. The second is installing before approval. The third is using components that are not ALMM-listed or BIS-certified — which can invalidate the claim after the money has already been spent.
The fourth, less often discussed, is treating the subsidy as a discount. It is a reimbursement. You fund the whole system, and the money returns after commissioning. Anyone offering you a system 'after subsidy' at the point of sale is either financing it themselves or describing the process inaccurately.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the PM Surya Ghar subsidy take to arrive?
Typically about 30 days from submitting bank details on the portal, which happens after the DISCOM inspection and the issue of the commissioning certificate. The full journey from application to credited subsidy usually runs eight to twelve weeks, most of it DISCOM process time rather than installation time.
Can I claim the subsidy if I already installed 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.
Is the ₹78,000 subsidy per system or per kilowatt?
Per system, as a ceiling. The calculation is per kilowatt — ₹30,000 each for the first two and ₹18,000 for the third — but the total is capped at ₹78,000 no matter how large the system. A 10 kW residential system receives exactly the same ₹78,000 as a 3 kW one.
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
- InstallationNet Metering in Rajasthan: How It Works and How to ApplyThree distribution companies, one process in outline — and the sanctioned-load rule that decides what capacity you are allowed.
- Cost & ROI3kW vs 5kW Solar System: Which Size Is Right for Your Home?Both attract the same ₹78,000 subsidy. The deciding factor is your annual consumption, not the price difference.
- SubsidyApplying on the PM Surya Ghar Portal in 2026, Step by StepThe 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.
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