PM Surya Ghar Scheme Crosses 40 Lakh Homes, Targets 75 Lakh by 2026

Highlighting India's rapidly expanding solar sector, Joshi noted that the country's first 50 GW of solar capacity took 96 months to achieve, while the next 50 GW was added in just 36 months.

The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has crossed 40 lakh beneficiary households within just two years of its launch, marking a significant milestone in India's clean energy journey. Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi expressed confidence that the scheme will reach 75 lakh households by December 2026, driven by growing public participation and rapid expansion of rooftop solar installations across the country. Speaking at an event marking two years of the flagship programme, the Minister said more than 65 lakh applications are currently in the pipeline, reflecting strong demand from households seeking affordable and sustainable energy solutions.

A major contributor to this growth has been the Utility-Linked Aggregation (ULA) model, under which around 30 lakh rooftop solar installations have already been planned. The model aims to accelerate adoption among underserved households by involving electricity utilities in implementation and outreach efforts. The initiative is expected to particularly benefit families with electricity consumption ranging between 1 kW and 3 kW.

Solar Expansion Reaches Record Levels

Highlighting India's rapidly expanding solar sector, Joshi noted that the country's first 50 GW of solar capacity took 96 months to achieve, while the next 50 GW was added in just 36 months. The jump from 100 GW to 150 GW required only 14 months, reflecting the sector's accelerating growth. May 2026 emerged as the strongest month since the launch of PM Surya Ghar, with a record 3.16 lakh rooftop solar installations completed during the month. On one day alone, 15,000 households joined the programme. The pace of adoption has also improved dramatically, with the time required to add one lakh households falling from 118 days to less than eight days.

The Minister revealed that more than ₹22,750 crore in subsidies has been disbursed under the scheme so far, including ₹2,743 crore during May 2026 alone. He said the programme is creating one of the world's largest residential solar markets while advancing India's energy independence and clean energy ambitions.

Zero Electricity Bills for Millions of Families

According to the Ministry, rooftop solar installations under the scheme have increased from around 7,000 per month before its launch to more than three lakh installations every month today. More than 17 lakh households are already reporting zero electricity bills, demonstrating the direct financial benefits of rooftop solar adoption. Launched on February 13, 2024, with a total outlay of ₹75,021 crore, PM Surya Ghar has evolved into the world's largest domestic rooftop solar programme. More than one crore households have registered on the national portal, while over 33 lakh rooftop systems had been installed by May 2026, adding more than 12 GW of capacity.

During the event, Joshi launched the official PM Surya Ghar logo and a dedicated WhatsApp bot. He also presented awards to top-performing states, Union Territories, DISCOMs, banks, vendors and other stakeholders contributing to the scheme's success. The Minister said rooftop solar would eventually become a household feature across India and expressed confidence that the movement would continue to expand with future integration of battery storage systems and initiatives such as the Model Solar Village programme.