PM Surya Ghar Subsidy 2026: The Complete Guide
How the central rooftop solar subsidy actually works in 2026 — the slabs, the eligibility fine print, the portal flow step by step, and the honest timeline from application to money in your account.
PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is India’s flagship residential rooftop solar programme. It pays a central subsidy directly into your bank account after your system is commissioned, and it is designed around a simple political promise: up to 300 units of effectively free electricity a month for a typical 3 kW household system. This guide covers the 2026 subsidy slabs, who qualifies, the exact application flow on the national portal, the concessional loan, and the delays and rejections that catch applicants out.
How much subsidy you get in 2026
Central Financial Assistance (CFA) is slab-based, not a flat percentage. For general-category states the structure that has applied since the scheme launched, and which still applies in 2026, is:
| System size | CFA (general states) |
|---|---|
| 1 kW | ₹30,000 |
| 2 kW | ₹60,000 |
| 3 kW | ₹78,000 (₹60,000 + ₹18,000 for the third kW) |
| 4 to 10 kW | Still ₹78,000 — the cap does not rise with size |
Subsidy = ₹30,000 × min(kW, 2) + ₹18,000 × max(0, min(kW, 3) − 2)Residential consumers can install up to 10 kW under the scheme, but everything above 3 kW earns no additional CFA. Special-category states and UTs (the North-Eastern states, Himalayan and hill states, islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh) attract higher CFA rates under MNRE’s guidelines. Earlier tables put the special-category cap near ₹85,800 for 3 kW, while several 2026 sources cite an enhanced ceiling of up to ₹1,17,000 in these states — the quoted figures genuinely differ across sites, so verify the current CFA table on the official portal before you plan around it. Group housing societies have a separate slab for common facilities, which is outside the scope of this guide.
Before fixing a size, match capacity to your actual consumption and sanctioned load — the system size calculator does that from your monthly units.
Eligibility: who qualifies
- You are an Indian residential consumer and own the house where the system is installed.
- You have a valid electricity connection, and the application is in the same name as the electricity bill.
- The household has not already taken a solar subsidy; the system must be new, not an extension of an earlier subsidised plant.
- Modules must be from the ALMM list (made in India) and installed with domestic content rules; inverters must meet BIS standards.
- Installation must be done by a vendor empanelled with your DISCOM — self-installed or non-empanelled installs are not eligible for CFA.
- You need an active bank account for Direct Benefit Transfer, ideally Aadhaar-seeded, in the applicant’s name.
Estimate your subsidy and payback before talking to vendors. Enter your monthly bill and state to size a system and see the net cost after CFA.
Open the India solar calculator →Step by step: applying on pmsuryaghar.gov.in
- Register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in with your state, DISCOM, consumer number, mobile and email. The portal validates the consumer number against DISCOM records, so it must match your bill exactly.
- Apply for rooftop solar by filling the application form with the proposed capacity.
- Wait for feasibility approval from your DISCOM. This checks your sanctioned load and local network capacity; it typically takes a few days to a few weeks.
- Install through an empanelled vendor. The portal lists empanelled vendors for your DISCOM. Sign a written agreement; do not pay the full amount as advance.
- Submit plant details and apply for the net meter once installation is complete.
- Inspection and net-meter installation by the DISCOM, followed by generation of the commissioning certificate on the portal.
- Submit bank details and a cancelled cheque through the portal.
- Receive the subsidy via DBT. The stated target is around 30 days from the commissioning report; in practice many households report one to three months, and longer where state processes are slow.
Realistic timelines
End to end, a smooth application runs six to twelve weeks from registration to subsidy credit. The two common bottlenecks are DISCOM feasibility approval and the net-meter installation queue, and neither is under your vendor’s control. If you are modelling cash flows, assume you pay the full system cost upfront and treat the subsidy as arriving two to three months after commissioning. Exports and generation economics for a grid-tied plant are easiest to sanity-check in the on-grid solar calculator.
The 7 per cent collateral-free loan
For systems up to 3 kW, the scheme includes collateral-free loans of up to ₹2 lakh at around 7 per cent interest through public-sector banks, applied for via the portal or the Jan Samarth platform. This matters because the subsidy arrives after commissioning: the loan bridges the upfront cost. Rates and processing vary by bank, so check the effective rate on sanction, and run the numbers in the solar loan EMI calculator before committing.
State top-ups vary — check your DISCOM
Several states add their own subsidy on top of the central CFA. Uttar Pradesh, for example, has offered a state top-up of ₹15,000 per kW up to ₹30,000 through UPNEDA, taking the total for a 3 kW system above ₹1 lakh. Other states offer nothing, or route support through cheaper net-metering terms instead. These top-ups change with state budgets, so verify the current figure with your DISCOM or state nodal agency, and see our state-wise solar calculators for the assumptions we use per state.
Honest notes before you sign
The subsidy is a reimbursement, not a discount. You pay the vendor the full price; the government pays you back after commissioning. Any vendor who quotes a price with the subsidy already deducted is either financing that gap themselves (fine, but confirm it in writing) or misrepresenting the scheme.
Compare quotes net of subsidy, on identical specs. The CFA is the same whichever empanelled vendor you choose, so the only honest comparison is total installed price for the same module class, inverter brand and mounting structure. And the 300-free-units framing assumes a well-sized 3 kW system in decent sun; your actual offset depends on your usage pattern, not the slogan.
Common pitfalls
- Name mismatch between the electricity bill and the application — the single most common rejection reason.
- Choosing a vendor before checking they are empanelled with your specific DISCOM.
- Panels not on the current ALMM list, which voids the subsidy claim even after installation.
- Applying for capacity above your sanctioned load without first getting a load enhancement.
- Paying a large advance to a vendor before DISCOM feasibility approval arrives.
- A dormant or non-DBT-enabled bank account, which silently stalls the final payment.
- Assuming the ₹78,000 cap scales with system size — beyond 3 kW the extra capacity is unsubsidised.
Handled carefully, the process is bureaucratic but genuinely workable: the money does arrive, the slabs are unambiguous, and the portal paper trail protects you. Go in with matched documents, an empanelled vendor and realistic timelines, and the 2026 scheme remains the best residential solar support India has offered.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get more subsidy for a 5 kW or 10 kW system?
No. Residential systems up to 10 kW are allowed under the scheme, but the CFA is capped at the 3 kW level — ₹78,000 in general states. Capacity beyond 3 kW improves your generation, not your subsidy.
When does the subsidy actually arrive?
Only after commissioning, inspection and net-meter installation are complete and bank details are submitted on the portal. The stated target is about 30 days from the commissioning report; one to three months is a realistic expectation.
Can tenants or flat owners apply?
The applicant must own the residence and the electricity connection must be in their name, so tenants cannot apply individually. Housing societies have a separate slab for common facilities; individual flat owners should check with their DISCOM and society.
Is the 300 units of free electricity guaranteed?
No — it is a framing, not a guarantee. A well-sized 3 kW system in good sun generates roughly 300 units a month on average, which offsets that much consumption. Your actual benefit depends on system size, location and your usage pattern.