PM Surya Ghar Subsidy 2026: Amount per kW, Eligibility, Apply

The PM Surya Ghar subsidy in 2026 is ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third kW. That caps it at ₹78,000 for any home system of 3 kW or more, or ₹85,800 in special-category states. The money is paid into the homeowner's bank account after the DISCOM inspects the system. This guide explains the slabs, who qualifies, how to apply and why applications get stuck.

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana launched on 13 February 2024 with an outlay of ₹75,021 crore and a target of 1 crore rooftop solar homes. As of 17 September 2026, the national portal shows over 83 lakh applications and more than 48 lakh installations, covering over 57 lakh households. The scheme runs until 31 March 2027.

PM Surya Ghar subsidy per kW: the 2026 slabs

The central financial assistance (CFA) is a set amount per kW, not a percentage of the price quoted to your customer. The rates below have not changed since launch. MNRE's operational guidelines apply them to every application from 13 February 2024.

First 2 kW: ₹30,000 per kW (₹33,000 in special-category states/UTs)
Third kW: ₹18,000 (₹19,800 in special-category states/UTs)
Beyond 3 kW: no extra central subsidy

Special-category states and UTs are Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, the North-Eastern states including Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. They get about 10% more because MNRE's benchmark cost is higher there.

Four rules that installers get asked about:

The subsidy follows the DC capacity of the panels, not the inverter. A 2.5 kW array gets ₹30,000 × 2 + ₹18,000 × 0.5 = ₹69,000, whatever the size of the inverter.
Batteries and hybrid inverters are allowed, but they add nothing to the subsidy. Off-grid systems are not eligible.
The subsidy is paid only once per installation. If a home already received rooftop subsidy under an earlier MNRE scheme, it can claim only for the extra capacity, up to 3 kW in total. A system moved to a new location gets nothing.
Some states add their own top-up. Under the July 2025 amendment, state subsidies should be shown on the national portal. Amounts vary, so check your state before quoting a total.

Worked example: subsidy by system size

Example (central CFA only, excluding any state top-up):

System size	Normal states	Per kW (normal)	Special-category states	Per kW (special)
1 kW	₹30,000	₹30,000	₹33,000	₹33,000
2 kW	₹60,000	₹30,000	₹66,000	₹33,000
3 kW	₹78,000	₹26,000	₹85,800	₹28,600
5 kW	₹78,000	₹15,600	₹85,800	₹17,160
10 kW	₹78,000	₹7,800	₹85,800	₹8,580

The "per kW" columns explain why the subsidy covers a much bigger share of a small system. The portal's rough guide is 1–2 kW for homes using 0–150 units a month, 2–3 kW for 150–300 units, and above 3 kW beyond that. To size from an actual bill, see how to calculate kW from an electricity bill. For a quick estimate with savings, use the free solar subsidy calculator.

PM Surya Ghar Yojana eligibility

The scheme is demand-driven. Any eligible household can apply, and DISCOMs no longer run tenders to empanel vendors or fix rates as they did under the earlier Phase II programme. Your customer qualifies if:

They have a residential, grid-connected electricity connection with a valid consumer account number from their DISCOM or power department.
The system goes on a roof, terrace or balcony, or on a raised structure. Building-integrated PV also qualifies.
They use a vendor registered on the national portal for that DISCOM.
The panels are DCR modules, meaning made in India from Indian-made cells (more on this below).
The connection has not already received subsidy for 3 kW.

Commercial, industrial and government connections are not eligible for this subsidy. The name on the bank account must match the name on the electricity bill exactly.

Surya Ghar Yojana apply online: step by step

The portal's "Consumer Application Journey" follows this order. A vendor can fill in the forms, but only after the consumer agrees to it on the portal.

Register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in (or the PM Surya Ghar app) with the mobile number, verify the OTP, and fill in name, email and address.
Apply for rooftop solar: choose state, district and DISCOM, enter the consumer account number, click "Fetch Details" and submit the proposed capacity. The net-metering agreement is now part of this application.
Feasibility: for systems up to 10 kW, the ministry says technical feasibility is waived and load is increased automatically. Where state rules still ask for documents, the DISCOM approves through the portal.
Choose a vendor from the registered list and upload the signed vendor–consumer agreement. The consumer can switch vendors only before the agreement is uploaded.
Installation: the vendor installs the system and enters the details: module and inverter serial numbers, DCR certificate and geo-tagged photos. The vendor then uses "Send to Consumer", and the consumer checks everything before submitting it to the DISCOM.
Inspection and net meter: the DISCOM inspects the site, installs the net meter (or approves one bought from an approved supplier) and issues the commissioning certificate on the portal.
Redeem the subsidy: add bank details with a cancelled cheque or passbook copy, then request redemption. This activates the e-token that was created when the application was submitted.
Subsidy credited to the bank account, or to the loan account if the system was financed.

Net metering paperwork differs by state. See our net metering process guide for the DISCOM side. If you are an installer who is not yet on the portal, start with PM Surya Ghar vendor registration.

DCR modules and ALMM: the rules that decide the subsidy

The Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) is a condition for the subsidy. Panels must be made in India using Indian-made cells. If even one non-DCR module is installed, the whole installation loses its subsidy. The portal checks DCR certificates against the NISE DCR portal.

ALMM is a separate list of approved manufacturers, and it confuses many buyers:

ALMM List-I (modules) applies to all net-metered rooftop systems.
ALMM List-II (cells) applies to net-metered projects commissioned after 31 December 2026. MNRE extended this deadline from 31 May 2026 in an order dated 18 July 2026.
MNRE clarified on 4 August 2026 that ALMM relaxations do not relax DCR. Subsidised systems still need DCR modules.
Households that choose "Give It Up" (no subsidy) can use non-DCR modules. Since March 2026 they can also submit without a DCR certificate, but once the installation is submitted they cannot switch back to claiming the subsidy.

Subsidy credit timeline

According to the guidelines, the subsidy is processed within 15 days of DISCOM approval. PIB has also reported an average of about 15 days from the redemption request when all details are correct. The time before that point depends on each DISCOM's inspection and net-meter queue, so tell customers it varies and don't promise a date.

From 3 September 2026, the portal no longer redeems applications with a "confidence score" below 70% directly. Those consumers must upload a signed undertaking (the format is on the portal) and government ID such as Aadhaar or a Voter ID. With the scheme ending on 31 March 2027, commission projects early instead of in the last few weeks.

Concessional loans for rooftop solar

The national portal links to Jan Samarth, so households can apply for a standard public-sector bank loan without leaving the portal. Loans through the portal are for individual homes only, not RWAs. As of September 2026, the portal lists these terms:

Up to ₹2 lakh: no collateral, interest at repo rate + 0.5% (PIB put this at 5.75% a year in July 2026), at least 10% paid by the borrower, no PAN or income proof, zero processing fee, up to 10 years including a 6-month moratorium.
₹2–6 lakh: PAN, ITR or Form 16, and at least ₹3 lakh net annual income are required. The borrower pays at least 20%, and the rate is linked to the bank's home-loan rate.
The loan is paid to the vendor in two tranches. When the subsidy is released, it goes to the loan account first.

Rates move with the RBI repo rate, so confirm the current rate with the bank.

RWA and group housing society rules

RWAs, apartment owner associations and cooperative societies get ₹18,000 per kW (₹19,800 in special-category states) for common facilities, including EV charging.
The eligible capacity is the lower of the installed size and 3 kW × number of houses, up to 500 kW. That limit includes any plants residents have installed on their own. Example from the guidelines: 100 kW for a 20-house society is eligible on 60 kW, which is ₹10,80,000.
The connection must supply only common areas, not individual flats.
Where residents have not yet formed an RWA, MNRE allows the developer to claim the subsidy. The developer must sign an undertaking to hand the asset over and pass the savings on to residents.

Common reasons applications get stuck

Name mismatch between the bank account and the DISCOM bill. Fix it with the bank or DISCOM before redemption.
DCR problems: the certificate does not match the serial numbers, or a module has no DCR certificate.
DC/AC mismatch with sanctioned load. A March 2026 MNRE advisory tells DISCOMs to allow up to 10% more DC capacity than applied for, for example 3.24 kW of panels on a 3 kW inverter. The inverter's AC rating still cannot exceed the sanctioned load.
Wrong geo-tagged photos or coordinates. Only the vendor can correct latitude and longitude, during installation submission.
Repeated serial numbers, which are no longer accepted after 26 May 2026.
Vendor backlog. In August 2026, MNRE deactivated 66 vendors for holding too many pending applications. It also advised vendors not to hold applications for more than 60 days without good reason.
DISCOM inspection delays. Raise a grievance on the portal or call the toll-free number 15555.

What has changed since the February 2024 launch

Subsidy amounts: unchanged, ₹30,000 / ₹18,000 per kW with a ₹78,000 cap, confirmed in the June 2024 guidelines along with the special-category rates.
Loan rate: about 7% at launch, 6.75% by March 2025 and 5.75% by July 2026, as the repo rate fell.
Approvals: the feasibility requirement was waived and load increased automatically up to 10 kW, and the net-metering agreement moved into the application.
RWA: a November 2024 clarification allows developers to claim the subsidy on residents' behalf.
2026 compliance rules: the "Give It Up" option without a DCR certificate, the ban on repeated serial numbers, the ALMM List-II (cells) deadline of 31 December 2026 for net metering, deadlines for vendors to clear pending applications, and the confidence-score check before redemption.
Guideline amendments in July 2025 and August 2026 mainly cover state top-ups on the portal and old Phase II claims, which must now reach MNRE by 30 November 2026.

Rules can change before the scheme ends, so check the "What's New" section on pmsuryaghar.gov.in before quoting. For pricing, see rooftop solar cost per kW in India.

Frequently asked questions

How much subsidy do I get for a 3 kW solar system under PM Surya Ghar?

₹78,000 in most states: ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW plus ₹18,000 for the third kW. In special-category states and UTs such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Ladakh and the North-East, it is ₹85,800.

Is there any extra subsidy if I install 5 kW or 10 kW?

No. Central subsidy stops at 3 kW, so a 5 kW or 10 kW home system still gets ₹78,000 (₹85,800 in special-category states). Some states add their own top-up, so check your state's current rules.

How long does it take for the PM Surya Ghar subsidy to come into my bank account?

The scheme guidelines say the subsidy is processed within 15 days of DISCOM approval, and the ministry has said it takes about 15 days on average after you request redemption, if your details are correct. The longer wait is usually DISCOM inspection and net meter installation, which varies by DISCOM.

Can I use any solar panel and still get the subsidy?

No. Only DCR modules qualify for the subsidy: panels made in India using Indian-made cells, verified through the NISE DCR portal. Using even one non-DCR module makes the whole installation ineligible for central subsidy.

What is the last date to apply for PM Surya Ghar?

The scheme runs until 31 March 2027, according to the national portal and the operational guidelines. Installation, DISCOM inspection and subsidy redemption all take time, so aim to commission well before then.

Can a housing society or RWA get PM Surya Ghar subsidy?

Yes, for common facilities such as lifts, lighting and EV charging. The subsidy is ₹18,000 per kW, for up to 3 kW per house and 500 kW in total, and the connection must serve only common areas.