The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY) will mark its first anniversary on Thursday, celebrating a year of empowering households with affordable solar energy and accelerating India’s transition to a sustainable future.

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13 last year, this groundbreaking initiative aims to provide free electricity to households by facilitating the installation of rooftop solar panels.

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The PMSGMBY, the world’s largest domestic rooftop solar initiative, is reshaping India’s energy landscape with a bold vision to supply solar power to one crore households by March 2027, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said.

As of January 27, 2025, the scheme has already benefited 8.46 lakh households through rooftop solar installations. The rapid adoption of solar energy is evident in the ten-fold increase in monthly installation rates, which now stand at around 70,000 installations per month, significantly surpassing pre-scheme levels.

The scheme offers a subsidy of up to 40%, making renewable energy more affordable and accessible. So far, ₹4,308.66 crore has been disbursed as Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to 5.54 lakh residential consumers, with an average subsidy of ₹77,800 per household.

Additionally, an estimated 45% of the beneficiaries are now receiving zero electricity bills, depending on their solar power generation and consumption patterns.

Top five states with the highest number of households benefiting under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana are : Gujarat (41.47%), Maharashtra (22.79%), Uttar Pradesh (8.69%), Kerala (7.73%) and Rajasthan (3.14%).

The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana offers several significant benefits to participating households:
–Free Electricity for Households: The scheme provides households with free electricity through the installation of subsidized rooftop solar panels, significantly reducing their energy costs.
–Reduced Electricity Costs for the Government: By promoting the widespread use of solar power, the scheme is expected to save the government an estimated ₹75,000 crore annually in electricity costs.
–Increased Use of Renewable Energy: The scheme encourages the adoption of renewable energy sources, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy mix in India.
–Reduced Carbon Emissions: The transition to solar energy under this scheme will help lower carbon emissions, supporting India’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

The subsidy provided under the scheme varies based on the household’s average monthly electricity consumption and the corresponding suitable rooftop solar plant capacity.