Around 1.5 crore families have registered for PM Surya Ghar so far. Impressive number. Then why does almost every Delhi homeowner we speak to say the same line? "Portal khola, das minute dekha, band kar diya."

Because nobody explains the PM Surya Ghar application process like a normal person would. So let me try.

I run Solar Suvidha, and half my week goes in answering exactly these questions on WhatsApp. What follows is the same answer I give there, just written down properly. No agent-speak, no shortcuts that get your file rejected.

Pehle, kaun apply kar sakta hai

Four conditions. Most Delhi homeowners clear all four without trying:

  • Indian citizen
  • The house and roof are yours, and the electricity bill is in the owner's name
  • A working connection with a consumer number
  • No government solar subsidy taken earlier

That second point trips people up more than any other. The applicant is whoever's name is printed on the bijli bill. Not the son who's filling the form, not the tenant paying the bill. The bill holder. Subsidy also goes to that person's account, nobody else's.

The boring part: documents

Do this before you open the portal, not after. Half the "portal is stuck" complaints I hear are really "I didn't have my papers" complaints.

DocumentWhy
Latest electricity billYour consumer number is your identity here
AadhaarVerification, and it links the DBT
Bank passbook or cancelled chequeWhere the money comes
Ownership proofRoof aapki hai, ye dikhana padta hai
A photo of the roofFeasibility check ke liye

With these ready, the online form takes maybe 25 minutes. Without them? Weeks of back and forth.

Step 1: Register on the PM Surya Ghar portal

Open pmsuryaghar.gov.in and hit Apply for Rooftop Solar. It asks for your state, your DISCOM (Delhi walon ke liye: BRPL, BYPL or TPDDL, check the bill), consumer number, mobile, email. Every login after this is OTP-based, so keep the phone close.

Step 2: Fill the application

Log in, fill the PM Surya Ghar application form. Address, sanctioned load, and the system size you want. If your bill runs Rs 2,000 to 5,000 a month, you're probably a 3 kW household. Why 3 kW keeps coming up everywhere: subsidy per kW is highest till 3 kW, then it flattens. The scheme is basically built around that size.

Step 3: Wait for DISCOM approval

Your DISCOM checks feasibility. Sometimes days, sometimes a few weeks, and no, calling them daily doesn't speed it up (people try). Track it on the portal instead.

One rule here, and it's not optional: nothing gets installed before this approval. Vendor jo bhi bole.

Step 4: Pick your vendor. This one step decides your subsidy.

The portal lists registered vendors for your area. Read this part twice:

So when a local shop quotes Rs 15,000 less "bina portal ke," you now know what that discount actually costs.

Take two or three quotes. Compare panel brand, inverter, warranty, and whether they handle the net-metering paperwork. If you'd rather get one verified installer instead of ten sales calls, that's literally what our free eligibility check exists for.

Step 5: Installation and the net meter

Actual installation is quick, a day or two of work. Then the net-meter application goes to your DISCOM, an inspection happens, and the system gets commissioned with a certificate on the portal. The net meter matters because your extra solar units flow back to the grid and pull your bill down. Delhi also pays Rs 3 per unit you generate, for five years, on systems up to 3 kW. Chhota amount lagta hai. Five saal mein it isn't.

Step 6: Bank details, then the wait

Post-commissioning, you submit bank details on the portal. The subsidy arrives as one single DBT credit. Rs 78,000 for 3 kW and above from the Centre. Delhi's own top-up (up to Rs 30,000) comes via the state's process on the same system.

System sizeCentral subsidyDelhi top-up
1 kWRs 30,000up to Rs 10,000
2 kWRs 60,000up to Rs 20,000
3 kW+Rs 78,000 maxup to Rs 30,000 max

Up to Rs 1,08,000 total. Every figure is "up to" because approvals decide the final number, and government schemes change terms without asking us.

Kitna time lagta hai, seedha bataiye

Two to three months, PM Surya Ghar application se paisa aane tak. Anyone promising fifteen days is selling you something.

  1. Form bharna: about 25 minutes
  2. DISCOM approval: days to weeks
  3. Installation: one to two weeks after approval
  4. Net metering plus inspection: two to six weeks, DISCOM pe depend karta hai
  5. Subsidy credit: usually within a month of commissioning

The five mistakes I see again and again

  • Consumer number and owner's name don't match
  • Installation started before feasibility approval (subsidy gone)
  • Unregistered installer because he was cheaper
  • Panels not on the ALMM list
  • Bank account not linked properly at the last step

Five silly mistakes. Avoid them and honestly, this is one of the smoother government processes you'll ever deal with.

One Delhi-only thing before you go

Bill above 400 units a month? Delhi gives you zero subsidy on that bill. Which sounds bad until you realise it makes solar payback fastest in exactly your house, because every unit your roof produces replaces a full-price unit.

Before you apply for PM Surya Ghar Yojana online, spend two minutes checking what your own roof qualifies for. Free hai, and you'll walk into the portal already knowing your answer.