Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Prahlad Joshi said the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana had evolved into a mass movement, with the government now achieving approximately 100,000 rooftop solar installations every six days. He said the pace had improved significantly after initial implementation challenges were addressed.

The installation process had initially taken considerable time, while technical problems with the scheme’s portal and difficulties in identifying vendors delayed progress. The ministry and its implementation teams subsequently resolved the issues, reducing the time required for every 100,000 installations to 44 days before bringing it down further.

Joshi said the initiative, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024, faced a delay because of the Model Code of Conduct during the Lok Sabha elections. Implementation began in June that year, when doubts remained about whether households would show sufficient interest in adopting rooftop solar systems.

The scheme now aims to provide solar power to 10 mn households by March 2027. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, installations are expected to exceed 1 mn by March 2025, rise to 2 mn by October 2025 and reach 4 mn by March 2026 before meeting the final target.

Launched on 15 February 2024, the programme provides subsidies of up to 40 per cent to households installing rooftop solar panels. The ministry said 630,000 installations had been completed in nine months, producing a monthly rate of 70,000, or 10 times the pre-scheme average. It added that the initiative could save the government Rs. 750 bn annually in electricity costs while supporting wider clean-energy adoption.