India’s Rs 75,000 Crore PM Surya Ghar Scheme Powers 8.5 Lakh Homes With Rooftop Solar In First Year

Nearly a year after the launch of the Rs 75,000 crore PM Surya Ghar scheme, 8.5 lakh households have successfully installed rooftop solar connections, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi, announced on Wednesday (29 January), as reported by The Hindu.

The initiative, which aims to install one crore solar-powered households, was first introduced following the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and was officially launched on 15 February 2024.

While progress has been made, the scheme initially faced implementation challenges.

Last month, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy noted the slow pace of installations, highlighting that as of October 2024, only 5 lakh installations were completed out of 20 lakh applications on the Surya Ghar portal.

Officials attributed the delays to weather-related disruptions, but the government remains confident in achieving 12 lakh installations in Financial Year (FY) 2024-25.

Installation rates have already increased from 3,000 to 9,000 per day, reflecting an accelerating rollout.

Under the scheme, the government subsidises 60 per cent of the cost for systems up to 2 kW and 40 per cent for additional system costs for 2-3 kW systems, capped at 3 kW capacity.

At current benchmark prices, subsidies stand at Rs 30,000 for 1 kW, Rs 60,000 for 2 kW, and Rs 78,000 for 3 kW systems or higher.

Speaking at the India Energy Transition Conference, organized by FICCI, Joshi emphasised India’s commitment to renewable energy expansion.

He announced plans to add 50 GW of new renewable capacity annually, highlighting that India’s installed renewable energy capacity has surged by 200 per cent in the last decade, from 75.52 GW in 2014 to 220 GW today.

Additionally, solar power tariffs have fallen by 80 per cent, from Rs 10.95 per unit in 2010-11 to Rs 2.15 per unit, making India a global leader in affordable solar energy.

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