Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi on Tuesday expressed confidence that the ambitious target of one crore households under the PM Suryaghar rooftop solarisation scheme will be achieved soon. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 13 February 2024, the scheme provides households with subsidised rooftop solar panels, offering free electricity and significantly lowering energy costs.

The initiative is expected to save the government approximately Rs 750 billion annually in electricity expenditures. Sarangi noted that nearly 20 lakh households have already benefitted and that state governments are showing strong interest in scaling up the programme.

“Fifteen to 20 lakh households will be added in this financial year, and next year we expect another 30 to 40 lakh installations as the programme scales up,” he said. The Secretary also highlighted domestic manufacturing growth under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, with an outlay of Rs 240 billion, promoting solar modules, cells, ingots, wafers, and polysilicon production.

Sarangi emphasised the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with an allocation of Rs 196.77 billion, citing pilot projects in steel, mobility, transport, and shipping. He added that green hydrogen production, electrolyser manufacturing, and green ammonia initiatives are being promoted extensively to support decarbonisation.

Regarding artificial intelligence, Sarangi said its role in renewable energy installations is limited but noted its importance in grid integration, management, and power distribution.