The government has recently approved a power utility-led model under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which will rapidly increase rooftop solar installations, said Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi.

Approximately two million rooftop solar systems have been installed under the Surya Ghar program so far. Approximately half of the households were receiving zero bills, and many were also earning money by selling excess electricity.

Within a month after the demand-driven utility-led model is rolled out, installations would reach five million, the minister said.

Joshi was addressing a meeting convened by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to review the progress of renewable energy programs with representatives of the states.

At the Mercom India Renewables Summit 2025, the minister had announced that the government would introduce a utility-led model under Surya Ghar to enable households without suitable rooftop space to benefit from the program.

Joshi said while some states had performed very well in implementing the Surya Ghar program, installations in others were slow. States must give approvals within 15 days of receiving applications.

The Surya Ghar program targets installing rooftop solar panels on 10 million households by 2027. Progress under the program has been patchy and marred by glitches in the national rooftop solar portal. The parliament’s standing committee on energy had observed that the pace of installations was slow and meeting the targets was a challenge.

MNRE Secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi said in some states, the rejection rate for bank loans for rooftop solar was very high. He asked the states to take up the issue of the reluctance of banks to lend to the rooftop solar sector with the state-level bankers’ committees.

He said India cannot be import-dependent if it has to achieve 1,800 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2047 and 5,000 GW by 2070. State governments must take the initiative for the manufacture of solar cells and modules, ingots, wafers, and polysilicon. The ministry will be working with the states in this regard.

The meeting with the representatives of the state governments, distribution companies, and renewable energy associations will review the progress of the MNRE’s flagship programs, PM KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar, as well as green hydrogen and other initiatives.