Solar Subsidy 2026: Every Indian State's Amount, Rules, and How to Apply

The central solar subsidy under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana follows one formula for households across India, with a higher per-kW rate in the special category states and UTs. What changes your final cost is everything layered on top of it: any state support, your DISCOM’s net metering and approval process, and the quality of the vendor and equipment. This guide covers all three layers for the 28 states and the Union Territories, and it is dated: every state figure below carries the date it was checked and the type of source it came from.

If you want the scheme fundamentals first, the PM Surya Ghar Yojana complete guide covers eligibility, documents and the portal in full, and the MNRE rooftop solar scheme guide explains who does what. This page is the money-and-states reference that sits beside them.

How the central subsidy works in 2026

The Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for residential consumers is set out in MNRE’s guidelines for PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (clause 5). It is slab based and is the same whatever your income, vendor or inverter brand. The clauses below are from the guideline text we read for this update.

The guidelines show the formula in clause 5(h): ₹30,000 per kWp for the first 2 kWp or part thereof, ₹18,000 per kWp for the additional 1 kWp or part thereof, and no additional CFA beyond 3 kWp. They give three worked examples: a 1.5 kW system earns ₹45,000, a 2.5 kW system earns ₹69,000, and a 6 kW system earns ₹78,000. A 5 kW or 10 kW home therefore gets exactly the same central amount as a 3 kW one.

Special category states and UTs get a higher rate

Clause 5(g) and 5(h) set a separate benchmark and rate for the special category States and UTs: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, the States in the North East including Sikkim, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. The CFA there is ₹33,000 per kWp for the first 2 kWp and ₹19,800 per kWp for the additional kWp, so a 3 kW household system reaches ₹85,800 against ₹78,000 elsewhere. Many articles quote ₹78,000 for every state. If you live in one of these places, check the current rate on the portal, because it is the only part of the central subsidy that depends on your address.

What the subsidy is calculated on

Four rules from the guidelines decide how the number is worked out:

• Module capacity, not inverter size. Clause 5(k) says the CFA is based on the rated DC capacity of the modules, irrespective of the inverter’s size. The inverter still has to meet the scheme’s minimum technical specifications.
• Extras do not add to it. Clause 5(l) allows additions such as battery storage, but the CFA is calculated on the solar module capacity under the standard structure.
• Domestic modules only. Clause 5(m) makes the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) an essential condition: modules made in India from Indian-made cells. Any non-DCR module in the installation makes it ineligible for CFA.
• One claim per installation. Clause 5(o) says an installation is eligible for CFA only once, and a system moved to a new site is not eligible again. Clause 5(n) allows a top-up claim only for the balance capacity up to 3 kW if you expand a system that already received central assistance.

The CFA is for residential rooftop systems tagged to a residential connection, including roofs, terraces, balconies and elevated structures (clause 5(b)). Commercial, industrial and government connections do not receive it (clause 5(d)). Off-grid installations are excluded (clause 6(o)).

The benchmark cost behind the slabs

The CFA is a percentage of an MNRE benchmark cost, not of your quote. Clause 5(g) sets the benchmark at ₹50,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹45,000 for each additional kW, with ₹55,000 and ₹49,500 for the special category States and UTs. The CFA is 60 percent of the benchmark for the first 2 kW and 40 percent of the benchmark for the third kW.

This is arithmetic on MNRE’s benchmark, not a statement about what installers charge in any city. Your quote can be higher or lower than the benchmark, and the subsidy does not change with it. Clause 6(g) also says MNRE will publish indicative component costs so consumers are not overcharged, and clause 5(j) says the benchmark will be revised at the mid-term review, so the portal is the place to confirm today’s values. The sweet spot for subsidy coverage is 2 to 3 kW, because the cap bites at 3 kW. If your consumption justifies a bigger system, the extra capacity pays back through bill savings, not through subsidy.

Where the scheme stands in October 2026

The guidelines state an outlay of ₹75,021 crore and an implementation period till 31 March 2027 (clause 1 and 2(d)). The stated aim is rooftop solar for one crore households. For the CFA component the outlay line is ₹65,700 crore. We did not find an official notice extending the scheme beyond 31 March 2027 as of 14 October 2026, and we do not rely on news estimates of installation counts here because they vary by source. Three practical consequences follow:

• Do not assume the rates continue unchanged after March 2027. Any application you plan should aim to be commissioned and claimed well inside the scheme period, because the scheme period is an official date and the delays are on the DISCOM stage.
• Rules can be amended. Clause 16 allows MNRE to amend the guidelines, and MNRE issued an amendment on 7 July 2025 to the residential CFA guidelines. Read the current notice on mnre.gov.in rather than an old screenshot.
• ALMM List-II and net metering. MNRE has granted exemptions on the cell list for some net-metering projects, and the dates have moved. Our ALMM List-II exemption guide explains the current position and how to verify the date on MNRE’s page before you rely on it.

Clause 5(c) also notes that RESCO models (a third party funds the system) and utility-led or state-led aggregation models are not covered by these capex-mode guidelines and are dealt with in separate guidelines. If a DISCOM or an installer offers one of those, ask which guideline governs the offer and what you pay.

Solar subsidy 2026: every state’s amount and rules

This is the master table for the 28 states and the Union Territories. “State top-up” means money over and above the central CFA. “None found” means that we did not find a general residential top-up in an official source or a consistent trade source as of 14 October 2026, which is not the same as a guarantee that none exists. “Not verified” means sources disagree or none could be opened. The figures in the “reported” rows come from secondary sources and are labelled.

State notes: what the table does not tell you

Delhi: official rates, a scheme window and a formula

The Delhi government’s solar portal (solar.delhi.gov.in), read on 14 October 2026, says the scheme closes on 28 February 2027 and is first-come, first-served for the first 2,20,000 eligible consumers, with 85,016 applications recorded that day. It lists the Delhi Solar Policy notified on 14 March 2024, a first amendment on 10 July 2025 and a second amendment on 17 September 2026. The portal’s State Subsidy page, updated 14 October 2026, lists ₹26,000 per kW for residential plants up to 3 kW, with the state subsidy equal to the lower of two figures: the cost arrived at through the Discom Trusteeship Model bidding minus the PM Surya Ghar subsidy, or ₹26,000 times the plant capacity, up to a maximum of ₹78,000. It says no additional subsidy applies for residential plants above 3 kW up to 10 kW, and lists ₹11,000 per kWp for group housing societies and RWAs for common facilities. Read the amendments and the disbursal SOP linked from the portal before you budget.

Earlier press coverage of the Delhi Cabinet’s May 2025 decision reported a smaller state subsidy of ₹10,000 per kW up to ₹30,000 for a 3 kW system (Saur Energy, 21 May 2025); the official page now shows the larger figure above, so prefer it. Delhi’s policy also includes a generation-based incentive; secondary sources report ₹3 per kWh up to 3 kW and ₹2 per kWh above, paid for five years, and the portal lists a separate SOP for capital subsidy and incentive disbursal. Read that SOP before you budget a Delhi incentive. See the Delhi guide for the application route.

Uttar Pradesh: a reported top-up, with a cap to check

Secondary sources report that UPNEDA adds ₹15,000 per kW up to ₹30,000 per household on top of the central CFA, which would make 3 kW worth ₹1,08,000 in combined support. One source says the UP top-up may be limited by installation count. We could not reach an official UPNEDA order, so confirm the current amount, the capacity limit and the remaining allocation with UPNEDA before relying on it. Grid reliability in parts of the state varies by feeder, so some households choose a hybrid inverter; the on-grid vs hybrid guide lays out how to decide. The UP guide has the application flow.

Rajasthan: reported for a specific group, not every home

The Rajasthan Economic Review 2025-26, as reported by secondary sources, says beneficiaries of the state’s free electricity units scheme can get rooftop solar through the PM Surya Ghar portal with the central subsidy plus an additional state subsidy of ₹17,000. That is not a blanket ₹17,000 for every household. Older pages treat it as a flat top-up for systems above a threshold and the threshold differs between sources. Ask RRECL or your DISCOM which category you fall in. See the Rajasthan guide.

Maharashtra: the SMART scheme is targeted

Maharashtra’s state support was reported by the Free Press Journal as the SMART scheme run through MSEDCL for BPL, SC, ST and other low-consumption households using under 100 units a month, with the state share varying by category and a state allocation for 2025-26 and 2026-27. We treat the amounts as reported, not verified. If your household is outside those categories, the central CFA is the baseline. The bigger practical variable in Maharashtra is the DISCOM approval queue, so budget the timeline as well as the money. See the Maharashtra guide.

Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal: read the state guide

These four states have recent or changing arrangements and each has its own page. The SURYA Gujarat scheme guide covers the Gujarat state scheme and DISCOM routes, the Tamil Nadu guide covers the TEDA and TNPDCL process, the Kerala guide covers KSEB, and the West Bengal guide covers WBSEDCL. The common point: the central CFA is the stable layer, and any state amount should be treated as separate until you see the order.

The central-only states

For the states marked “None found” the central CFA is the subsidy you can plan on. That is still large: at the MNRE benchmark, ₹78,000 covers about 54 percent of the 3 kW benchmark. Other state guides worth reading: Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

PM-KUSUM and other schemes: when PM Surya Ghar does not apply

PM Surya Ghar is a household scheme tied to a residential connection. Three common situations need another route.

Farmers with pump connections. PM-KUSUM covers solar pumps and feeder-level solarisation. A household rooftop application on an agricultural connection will not fit the residential CFA. The PM-KUSUM agricultural solar subsidy guide covers the components, and the PM Surya Ghar vs KUSUM comparison helps you choose.

Shops and small businesses. Commercial connections get no household CFA (clause 5(d)). The financial case rests on tariff savings and on tax treatment, which you should confirm with your accountant. The MSME solar loan guide covers the financing side.

Apartment common areas. The RWA channel pays ₹18,000 per kWp up to 500 kWp at 3 kWp per house, for common facilities only (clause 5(e) and 5(f)). The connection must be dedicated to common facilities and not used to supply individual flats, and the society limit includes any individual rooftop plants of residents. A flat owner without exclusive rights to a roof cannot claim a household subsidy on a shared roof.

How to apply: the same steps in every state

The process is national, set out in clause 6 of the guidelines. State DISCOMs and agencies differ in timelines and in how they implement feasibility and inspection.

1. Register on the National Portal at pmsuryaghar.gov.in with your state, DISCOM, consumer account number and mobile number. The portal generates an application ID (clause 6(b)). Check eligibility first if you are unsure.
2. Choose a registered vendor. You must pick a vendor registered on the National Portal and agree the rates with them. There is no DISCOM tender or rate fixing under the scheme (clause 6(c)). Our vendor checking guide explains how to verify one.
3. Feasibility. Under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, as amended in February 2024, rooftop systems up to 10 kW do not need a technical feasibility study. The guidelines (clause 6(h)) say that until your regulator or DISCOM puts that into practice, you upload the documents for feasibility where state rules require. Ask your DISCOM which applies.
4. Installation. The vendor installs, runs the safety checks and educates you on maintenance (clause 6(i)). The equipment must meet MNRE’s minimum technical specifications (clause 6(f)).
5. Update the portal. You enter the system details and upload documents, including geo-tagged photographs. The vendor may help through your login, but you have the right to do every portal task yourself (clause 6(j) and 8(d)).
6. DISCOM inspection and meter. The DISCOM inspects, signs the metering agreement and installs the meter (clause 6(k) and 6(l)). It can approve, return the application for corrections or reject it with reasons.
7. E-token and claim. The e-token is activated with the eligible CFA for the actual installed capacity and redeemed from your portal profile (clause 6(p)). The CFA is processed within 15 days of DISCOM approval (clause 6(t)).
8. State top-up, if any. It runs through the state agency, and under clause 5(i) its disbursal should be integrated with the National Portal. Ask the agency for its timeline.

The apply online guide walks through the screens, and the status check guide explains what each status means.

Documents you will need

Keep these scanned before you start, and rely on the checklist in your own portal login for the final list:

1. Registration: a recent electricity bill with the consumer account number, a mobile number you can receive OTPs on, and your bank details.
2. Installation stage: proof that you own the property or can install on the roof, a cancelled cheque or passbook scan showing the account holder’s name (clause 6(s)), and the vendor’s design, module and inverter details.
3. Loan route: if you take a loan through the portal, the loan account details are linked and the CFA is credited to the loan account first (clause 6(s)(i)).

Names must match across the electricity bill, Aadhaar and bank account. A mismatch is a common reason a claim stalls. The documents required guide lists the files in detail.

The official clocks, and what they do not cover

These are rule-based clocks, not a promise about your application. We deliberately do not publish a “typical weeks per stage” table, because averages from installer anecdotes differ widely by circle. Ask your DISCOM for stage-wise status.

DISCOM rules that quietly decide your outcome

The subsidy is the visible part. These DISCOM-level rules decide whether the system behind it saves you money.

• Metering arrangement. Clause 6(l) says all metering arrangements approved by the state regulator (net metering, gross metering, net billing, virtual or group net metering) are covered under the scheme. Which one applies to you changes the value of exported power. Our gross metering vs net metering guide explains the difference.
• Sanctioned load. Many DISCOMs cap rooftop capacity at your sanctioned load. If you plan a bigger system, ask about a load enhancement before you apply.
• Single-phase limits. Many DISCOMs set a maximum single-phase rooftop capacity and require three-phase supply beyond it. The CFA is the same either way, and the limit is a DISCOM rule.
• Billing cycle. Some utilities, such as KSEB in Kerala, bill every two months, which changes how you read net metering credits against a “300 units” claim.
• Meter supply. Clause 6(l) says the DISCOM provides the net meter or you can buy one from enlisted meter vendors. Ask who supplies and pays for it before you sign.
• Smart-meter areas. Clauses 6(m) and 6(n) require smart meters through the AMISP where smart-metering has been awarded, and CEA-listed meters elsewhere.

ALMM and DCR: two checks, two different lists

These are separate requirements, and confusing them is expensive.

ALMM is MNRE’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers. The MNRE ALMM page publishes a list for solar PV modules and a list for solar PV cells. It does not publish an inverter list, so an inverter cannot be on the ALMM. Read our ALMM list guide before you believe an installer who says otherwise.

DCR is the Domestic Content Requirement in clause 5(m): the modules must be made in India from Indian-made cells. This is an essential condition for the CFA. Ask for the exact module make, model and its DCR declaration in writing.

For the inverter, the scheme’s requirement is the minimum technical specification (clause 6(f) and Annexure 3), which the DISCOM checks at inspection. Get the exact inverter model, its datasheet and the applicable compliance documents in your quote. Substitution of models at delivery is the moment a claim is quietly put at risk, so write down that installed models must match quoted models. If you are comparing inverters, our on-grid inverter range lists the Qbits models with their datasheets, and the QB 1.5/2.0/2.7/3.0/3.3/3.6/4.0KTLS and QB 4.2/4.6/5/5.4/6KTLS pages cover the single-phase models. Qbits Energy makes inverters; it does not install systems or file subsidy applications.

The Give It Up option, and why most homes should not take it

The National Portal has a “Give It Up” option (clause 5(p)) for consumers who choose to forgo the CFA so that scheme funds can reach a wider group. The guidelines add that consumers who install rooftop solar without the CFA, including those who give it up, are free to do so without domestically manufactured cells and modules.

Run the arithmetic before anyone talks you into it. Forgoing the CFA costs you up to ₹78,000 (₹85,800 in special category states). The module price difference between DCR and non-DCR modules varies by market, so ask for both quotes in writing. The exception is a household for whom the CFA is not realistic anyway, for example a connection that has already used its claim. Be alert to how this is mis-sold: a vendor holding non-DCR stock has an incentive to describe Give It Up as a “faster track”. If an installer raises it before you do, ask what DCR-compliant module they can supply and by when.

Common rejection reasons, and which are fixable

The pattern is clear once you lay it out: almost every reason is cheap to prevent and expensive to cure. The rejection reasons guide goes through each one. Thirty minutes of document checking before you pay an advance is the best use of time in the process.

Myth-busting: five subsidy claims that cost people money

Myth 1: “Every state gives a subsidy on top of the centre’s.” No. Several states have no general residential top-up that we could find. Be careful with listicles that count a dozen or more states with top-ups, because many recycle schemes that have closed or apply only to specific categories.

Myth 2: “Subsidy increases with system size above 3 kW.” It does not. The CFA stops at 3 kWp (clause 5(h)), so the per-kW rate falls as the system grows. Size your system for your consumption, not for subsidy.

Myth 3: “The 300 free units are a separate benefit.” The scheme objective in clause 3(b) is free or low-cost electricity up to 300 units a month for one crore households through rooftop solar. It is an outcome of a correctly sized system offsetting your use, not a cash benefit.

Myth 4: “Off-grid systems get the subsidy too.” Clause 6(o) says off-grid installations are not eligible. Systems that stay connected to the grid, including battery hybrids, can qualify subject to regulator approval, though the battery itself does not add to the CFA.

Myth 5: “You can apply after installing.” Registering on the portal and agreeing the work through your login comes first. Check your DISCOM’s feasibility rule and keep the sequence the portal expects. An installation done outside that sequence is hard to rescue, so a vendor who says “install first, paperwork later” is asking you to gamble the subsidy on their convenience.

Comparing states: tariff matters as much as the subsidy

People compare states on subsidy alone and ignore the tariff. A one-time subsidy shortens payback, but the recurring bill saving decides lifetime value, and that depends on your tariff slab, your consumption and your export terms.

A simple way to compare without trusting anyone’s averages:

1. Take the installed price in your written quote.
2. Subtract the central CFA for your system size from the table above.
3. Subtract a state top-up only if you hold the order or the agency’s written confirmation.
4. Divide the result by the annual saving from your own bill and the installer’s generation model, which should name its assumptions.

Financing the balance

Since the CFA arrives after the DISCOM approves the installation, most households fund the full cost first. The guidelines describe two routes:

A loan through the portal. Clause 6(q) and 6(r) say loan products from banks and financial institutions are available on the National Portal, including through the Jan Samarth portal, and that standardised low-interest products at around the repo rate plus 50 basis points for systems up to 3 kW are envisaged. Press Information Bureau releases from 2024 and 2025 describe collateral-free loans through public sector banks at a subsidised rate of 6.75 percent for eligible systems, so confirm the present rate and eligibility with the bank. Under clause 6(s), if you took a loan, the CFA is credited to the loan account first and any balance goes to your bank account. Our best bank solar loan guide and the SBI solar loan guide cover the banks.

A vendor that advances the subsidy. Some vendors quote a net-of-subsidy price and collect the CFA themselves. Accept that only with a written clause that states the subsidy amount, who bears the risk if disbursement is delayed and what you owe if the application is rejected. Under the guidelines the CFA is paid to you or to your loan account, so ask how the vendor receives it.

One rule holds in both cases: never inflate system size to chase subsidy. The CFA cap means a larger system adds cost without adding subsidy. Size to consumption, finance the balance carefully and treat the subsidy as a reduction in cost, not a dependency.

Which route should you take?

If you are in a state with a reported top-up (Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra): apply for the central CFA first, then read the state guide and ask the agency which categories and caps apply. Never put an unconfirmed state top-up in your customer-facing net cost; show it as a separate line subject to confirmation.

If you are in a state with no top-up: the calculation is simpler. The central CFA, your DISCOM’s metering rules and equipment quality decide everything. Spend the subsidy conversation on DCR verification, the exact inverter model and the written scope.

If you are in a special category state or UT: check the higher central rate on the portal, because the ₹78,000 figure in most articles is the lower rate.

If your grid supply is unreliable: ask about a hybrid system. The CFA is based on module capacity either way (clause 5(k) and 5(l)), and a hybrid keeps your loads running during a cut. The on-grid vs hybrid guide walks through the decision, and the hybrid inverter range lists the Qbits hybrid models.

Installers and dealers who want to stock Qbits inverters can start at become a partner.

The bottom line

The 2026 solar subsidy is a national formula with a higher rate for special category states and a small, changing layer of state support. The central CFA is the number you can plan on, as long as the scheme period and the guideline text on the portal remain as published.

Sources checked on 14 October 2026: MNRE’s PM Surya Ghar residential CFA guidelines (clause numbers above refer to the 2024 operational guideline text; the 7 July 2025 amendment is listed on this MNRE notice page and we could not read its text), the Ministry of Power’s PIB release of 23 February 2024 on the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules amendments, and the Delhi government’s solar portal. pmsuryaghar.gov.in and several state agency sites could not be opened by our tools, so state figures marked reported come from the secondary sources named in the text and should be confirmed with the agency.