Union Minister Prahlad Joshi announced that the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is now achieving one lakh rooftop solar installations every six days, marking the initiative as a successful mass movement across the country.
Surge in Rooftop Solar Installations
Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Prahlad Joshi on Wednesday said the "PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana" has evolved into a mass movement, with the government now achieving approximately one lakh rooftop solar installations every six days, despite facing several challenges during the initial stages of its implementation.
Speaking about the challenges and progress of the scheme, Joshi said the installation process was initially time-consuming, which affected its implementation. "We faced several challenges. The process was time-consuming, and we encountered problems with the portal in its initial stages. Subsequently, identifying vendors also proved to be a challenge. However, our entire team worked together to resolve these issues. Earlier, it took a considerable amount of time to complete installations. Gradually, we brought this down to 44 days for every one lakh installations," he said. "Today, we are achieving approximately one lakh installations every six days," Joshi added.
Overcoming Initial Hurdles
Explaining how the pace of implementation improved, the Union Minister said its implementation was delayed due to the Model Code of Conduct during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "The Prime Minister first announced the initiative in February 2024. However, its actual implementation was delayed due to the Model Code of Conduct during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and eventually began in June. When we started implementation in June, many people were sceptical. Even until March 2027, there were doubts about whether the initiative would succeed, as it was believed that people might not show sufficient interest," he said.
"But today, with the Prime Minister's appeal and the collective efforts of our entire team, the initiative has become a Jan Andolan (mass movement). I am very confident that, very soon, we will be able to achieve one lakh installations every four or even five days," Joshi said.
Future Targets and Impact
According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, world’s largest domestic rooftop solar initiative, is transforming India’s energy landscape with a bold vision to supply solar power to one crore households by March 2027. By March 2025, installations under the scheme are expected to exceed 10 lakh, with the numbers doubling to 20 lakh by October 2025, reaching 40 lakh by March 2026, and ultimately achieving the target of one crore by March 2027.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 February 2024, this initiative aims to provide free electricity to households by facilitating the installation of rooftop solar panels. The scheme offers a subsidy of up to 40 per cent to households, making renewable energy more affordable and accessible. In just nine months, 6.3 lakh installations have been completed, resulting in an impressive monthly installation rate of 70,000, ten times higher than the pre-scheme average, the ministry stated. With a goal to benefit one crore households, the program is also expected to save the government ₹75,000 crore annually in electricity costs. This transformative initiative empowers millions to adopt clean energy, reinforcing India’s commitment to sustainable development and energy innovation.
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