New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, said on Thursday that the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has already crossed 40 lakh beneficiary households within two years and is expected to surpass the 75 lakh households mark by December 2026.

Addressing the ‘Two years of PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana: Scaling the solar home to one crore rooftops’ event here, Union Minister Joshi said the Utility-Linked Aggregation (ULA) model is designed to accelerate implementation, particularly among underserved households.

“Around 30 lakh rooftop solar installations have already been planned across states, with utilities playing a key role in facilitating faster adoption and execution.”

He noted that the initiative will particularly benefit families consuming between 1 kW and 3 kW of electricity and help ensure wider access to affordable clean energy.

“With more than 65 lakh applications already in the pipeline, the scheme is witnessing strong public participation and unprecedented momentum across the country.”

The Union Minister said India’s solar growth is accelerating rapidly.

He highlighted that the first 50 GW took 96 months.

“The next 50 GW took 36 months and growth from 100 GW to 150 GW took only 14 months. May 2026 was the strongest month since the launch of PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana with a record 3.16 lakh rooftop solar installations in a single month and 15,000 households added in just one day,” he added.

The Union Minister said that the pace of adoption has surged from 118 days to add one lakh households to less than eight days today.

More than Rs 22,750 crore in subsidies has been dispersed, including Rs 2,743 crore in May 2026 alone.

“PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana is creating one of the world’s largest residential solar markets while advancing India’s clean energy transition and energy self-reliance,” Union Minister Joshi added.

He said that at a time when the world is facing energy uncertainties due to the West Asia crisis, initiatives like PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana are strengthening India’s energy security and strategic resilience.

He added: “The rooftop solar installations have increased from about 7,000 per month before the scheme to more than three lakh per month today. More than 17 lakh households have achieved zero electricity bills, demonstrating direct savings from families.”

The Union Minister also said that looking ahead, there are plans to integrate Battery Energy Storage Systems as storage costs decline and expand adoption through the Model Solar Village initiative.

Launched on February 13, 2024, with an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore, PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has become the world’s largest domestic rooftop solar programme.

Rooftop solar now accounts for nearly 45 per cent of residential solar capacity, with deployment growth rising to 85 per cent during 2024–2026.

The scheme contributes to India’s progress towards its 500 GW non-fossil capacity target by 2030, with total solar capacity crossing 150 GW as of March 2026, while enhancing energy access and reducing subsidy burden on DISCOMs.

Union Minister Joshi also launched the PM Surya Ghar logo and WhatsApp bot.

He felicitated PM Surya Ghar award winners, including top-performing states and UTs, DISCOMs, banks, vendors, and other stakeholders, including outstanding performers during the “Month of Solar” campaign in May 2026.

–IANS

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