PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is a central subsidy for residential rooftop solar. It is not a discount the installer applies to your invoice — it is money the government transfers to your bank account after your system is installed, inspected and approved.
What the subsidy pays
The subsidy is paid per kilowatt, on a sliding scale, and it stops at three kilowatts:
| System size | Central subsidy | How it is calculated |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kW | ₹30,000 | ₹30,000 for the first kW |
| 2 kW | ₹60,000 | ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW |
| 3 kW and above | ₹78,000 | ₹18,000 for the third kW, then capped |
The important word is capped. You may install a 5 kW or 8 kW system if your consumption and roof justify it — the subsidy simply stops rising after ₹78,000. A larger system is a decision about your electricity bill, not about the scheme.
The short version
- ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW, ₹18,000 for the third
- Maximum ₹78,000, regardless of how much larger you go
- Residential connections only — businesses are not eligible
- Housing societies claim under a separate slab for common facilities
What you have to do to qualify
The subsidy is conditional, and the conditions are where most delays happen. In Gujarat, a residential rooftop system generally needs to be registered through GEDA, approved for net metering by your distribution company, and installed by an empanelled vendor using BIS-certified equipment. Systems installed outside that process may work perfectly well and still not qualify.
Two conditions catch people out. The connection must be a residential one in the applicant's name — solar on a house wired on a commercial connection does not become eligible because the building is a home. And the subsidy can be claimed once per connection.
When the money arrives
The sequence is: apply through the national portal, get feasibility approval from your DISCOM, install, apply for net metering, have the system inspected, and then submit the redemption request. The subsidy is credited directly to the bank account you registered — typically within about 30 to 45 days of the inspection and redemption request.
So the honest answer to "how long does the subsidy take" is that the clock does not start when you pay the installer. It starts when the DISCOM inspects. Anything that delays inspection — an incomplete application, a meter that has not arrived, a system that does not match the sanctioned load — delays the money.
What the scheme does not do
It does not cover commercial or industrial rooftops; those run on a different set of incentives built around depreciation rather than subsidy. It does not cover a society's common-area system under the same slab — that has its own rate. And it does not remove the need for net metering approval, which is a separate process with your DISCOM.
Scheme rates and procedures are reviewed periodically. The figures above reflect the structure as published for 2026 — confirm the current position with your DISCOM or with us before budgeting on them.