In conditions of intense heat and high humidity, people actively use air conditioners and refrigerators, which raises concerns about high electricity bills. However, residents who have installed solar panels on their roofs under the government's Prime Minister Solar Home Scheme (PM Surya Ghar Yojna Muft Bijli Yojna) enjoy coolness without bill stress, as they are provided with 300 units of free electricity.
The number of beneficiaries utilizing the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Scheme is constantly growing, and this initiative has now reached an important milestone. According to the latest data, the program covers over 50.06 lakh homes, freeing them from billing worries. Thanks to these panels, concerns about electricity bills disappear for up to 25 years, as the lifespan of these panels is estimated at approximately 25 years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this free electricity program in February 2024, and in just over two years, it surpassed the mark of 5 million homes. The government has set a target to install solar panels on the roofs of 10 million homes. Today, PM Surya Ghar Yojna helps 100 thousand homes every six days, making it one of the fastest-growing clean energy programs globally.
The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana demonstrates significant growth compared to 7.94 lakh rooftop solar panel installations over the last ten years. Government expenditure on this scheme amounts to 75,021 crore rupees. The pace of solar panel installation in the last nine months has increased by 3.2 times. In October 2025, 5,038 installations were registered daily, whereas in July 2026, this figure reached about 16,328, marking the highest monthly figure since launch.
Only in July did the program assist 5.06 lakh families. Furthermore, in addition to 300 units of free electricity, the central government provides a substantial subsidy of up to 78,000 rupees for solar panel installation costs through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) directly to the beneficiaries' bank accounts. To date, subsidies amounting to 28,024 crore rupees have been disbursed under the scheme. Additionally, in the fiscal year 25, over 12 lakh families earned 421 crore rupees by selling surplus electricity. Each family that feeds energy back into the grid receives an additional annual income of about 3,500 rupees.
According to recent data, thanks to the PM Surya Ghar program, electricity bills for about 19 lakh families across the country have become zero, reducing their financial burden. This scheme has also created a large ecosystem for contractors and employment, with 34,219 registered contractors operating in the country, of whom 29,469 are active.
After receiving approval, applicants can install solar panels from a registered contractor of their Distribution Company (DISCOM). After installation, an application must be submitted for a net meter with installation details. Upon meter installation and verification by the DISCOM, a commissioning certificate will be issued. After this certificate is issued, the applicant will provide bank account details and a cancelled cheque via the portal, to which the subsidy will be credited.
