Nagpur: Maharashtra has powered its way into the record books by crossing the 1,000 MW mark in rooftop solar generation under the Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Free Electricity Scheme, with Nagpur district emerging as the State’s undisputed leader in adoption.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024, the scheme aims to provide free electricity to households while allowing them to earn by selling surplus power to the grid. In just 18 months, more than 2.5 lakh homes across Maharashtra have embraced rooftop solar, pushing the total installed capacity to a staggering one gigawatt. The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) has been at the forefront of this green energy push.
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14 Aug 2025
Nagpur has set the pace with 40,152 consumers installing systems totalling 157 MW, nearly double that of the next district, Pune (19,195 consumers, 89 MW). Jalgaon (18,892; 70 MW), Amravati (15,245; 63 MW), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (16,664; 59 MW), and Nashik (15,468; 55 MW) round out the top performers. So far, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 1,870 crore in subsidies for Maharashtra’s beneficiaries.
Under the scheme, households can avail Rs 30,000 for a 1 kW system, Rs 60,000 for 2 kW, and Rs 78,000 for 3 kW. Housing societies are eligible for Rs 18,000 per kW for systems up to 500 kW. MSEDCL CMD Lokesh Chandra credited the achievement to the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister of State for Energy Meghna Sakore Bordikar, and lauded consumers, employees, and suppliers for making Maharashtra a national benchmark in rooftop solar adoption.
Officials noted that rooftop solar panels can generate electricity for up to 25 years, often meeting household needs entirely while allowing excess energy to be sold back to MSEDCL. “Consumers can register online at pmsuryaghar.gov.in or approach their nearest Mahavitaran office. Maharashtra has set an example for the entire country, and Nagpur has shown the way,” an official said, urging more households to join the green power revolution.
