PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is the central government scheme that subsidises rooftop solar for homes in India. For an installer it works in seven steps: register as a vendor, help the customer apply on the national portal, get DISCOM feasibility approval, install with DCR modules, submit the installation and apply for the net meter, pass inspection and commissioning, and support the customer until the subsidy reaches their bank account. This guide explains each step from the installer's side, with the documents and checks that keep an application moving. The official portal is pmsuryaghar.gov.in; rules and slabs are set there and can change, so confirm them before you quote.
What the scheme gives the customer
The scheme pays a central financial assistance (CFA) to residential customers who install grid-connected rooftop solar. The published slabs are Rs 30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW, Rs 18,000 for the third kW, and a ceiling of Rs 78,000 for systems of 3 kW and above. Some states add their own subsidy on top.
The subsidy is paid into the customer's bank account after installation, inspection and commissioning. The customer pays the installer the full price first, or arranges a loan through the banks listed on the portal.
Who is eligible
- A household with its own residential electricity connection.
- A roof suitable for solar, owned or with the owner's consent.
- No earlier central subsidy for rooftop solar on the same connection.
- Group housing societies and resident welfare associations have separate provisions for common facilities; check the portal for them.
Step 1: register as a vendor
Installers must be registered with the DISCOM as vendors for the scheme, which appears on the national portal. Customers choose their vendor from that list, so an unregistered installer cannot carry a subsidised project to completion.
Keep your registration details, validity and the DISCOMs you are registered with on record, and print your registration on your quotations.
Step 2: the customer applies on the portal
The customer registers on pmsuryaghar.gov.in with their state, DISCOM, consumer number, mobile number and email, logs in and applies for rooftop solar. Many customers need help here; sit with them or guide them on a call, but let the customer submit with their own mobile number, because the OTPs and messages go to it.
Check before submitting that the name and consumer number match the electricity bill exactly. Most rejected or stuck applications come from a mismatch here.
Step 3: DISCOM feasibility approval
The DISCOM checks the application and gives technical feasibility approval. Do not start installation before this approval; a system installed first may not qualify.
Track each customer's application status and the date it was submitted, and follow up with the DISCOM office if it waits longer than usual for your area.
Step 4: install with DCR modules
Subsidised systems must use solar modules made in India with domestic cells, known as DCR (domestic content requirement) modules, and other equipment meeting the scheme's standards. Buy DCR modules from a supplier who gives the certificate and serial numbers, and check them on receipt.
Install according to the approved capacity. Record the serial numbers of modules and the inverter, and take photos of the installed system, including the module labels and the inverter nameplate; the inspection and portal entries ask for them.
Step 5: submit installation details and apply for the net meter
After installation, the installation details are submitted on the portal and the customer applies for the net meter. Upload the documents and photos the portal asks for. Some DISCOMs require an agreement between the customer and the DISCOM for net metering; fill it from the customer record so the details match.
Step 6: inspection and commissioning
The DISCOM inspects the system and installs the net meter. After a successful inspection, the commissioning certificate is generated on the portal. This is the step where projects most often wait, so keep a list of every customer waiting for inspection with the date the request was made.
Step 7: the subsidy reaches the customer
After commissioning, the customer submits their bank account details and a cancelled cheque on the portal. The subsidy is then released to that account. Tell the customer what to expect and do not promise a date; the timing is not in your control.
Keep each customer's subsidy status in your records. Customers who are waiting will call you, and being able to tell them exactly where their application stands keeps the referral you will want from them later.
Documents to collect once
- Latest electricity bill showing the consumer number and name.
- Identity proof of the consumer.
- Bank account details and a cancelled cheque in the consumer's name.
- Photos of the roof before installation and of the installed system.
- Module DCR certificate, serial numbers and inverter details.
- Any agreement or form your DISCOM requires for net metering.
Common reasons applications get stuck
- Name or consumer number on the application does not match the bill.
- Installation started before feasibility approval.
- Non-DCR modules installed on a subsidised system.
- Installed capacity different from the approved capacity.
- Bank details not in the consumer's name.
- Missing photos or serial numbers at inspection.
Showing the subsidy on your quotation
Show the full price with GST, then the central subsidy as a separate line, then any state subsidy, then the net cost. Say that the customer pays the full price and receives the subsidy in their bank account after commissioning. Our guide to making a quotation with the PM Surya Ghar subsidy walks through it step by step.
How RAYVO helps with PM Surya Ghar projects
RAYVO records each customer's consumer number, DISCOM and documents once, prints the subsidy line on quotations from the slabs in your settings, fills DISCOM forms and agreements from the customer record through document automation, tracks DCR module serial numbers from goods received to the roof, and keeps each project's stage, from application to subsidy, visible to your whole team. RAYVO does not file on the national portal for you; the portal steps remain with the customer and your team.
Frequently asked questions
The published central subsidy is Rs 30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and Rs 18,000 for the third kW, up to Rs 78,000 for 3 kW and above. Confirm current slabs on pmsuryaghar.gov.in.
The installer must be a vendor registered with the customer's DISCOM for the scheme, as listed on the national portal.
Yes, subsidised residential systems must use domestic content (DCR) solar modules.
After installation, DISCOM inspection, net meter installation and commissioning, once the customer submits bank details on the portal. The timing is set by the authorities, so do not promise a date.
No. Wait for technical feasibility approval before installing, or the system may not qualify for the subsidy.