PM Surya Ghar Enters Mission Mode As MNRE Sets Up Directorate

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The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has now issued a notification to set up a Mission Directorate to expedite the growth of rooftop solar in the country. This comes months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the ambitious PM Surya Ghar scheme this year to pave the way for the installation of residential rooftop solar projects in one crore households. The project alone, as per industry experts, has the potential of adding around 30 GW of new solar capacities in India.

As per the MNRE notification, the new mission directorate office, dedicated to the growth of residential rooftop solar in India will monitor the day to day operation of the scheme implementation. The directorate will be a part of the MNRE. 

The MNRE notification said that the directorate will be headed by a Mission Director (MD). The MD will be the Joint Secretary of the Indian government who is also the incharge of the rooftop solar division. 

Additionally, the guidelines place the responsibility on the directorate for issuing advisory/recommendations to NPIA/SIA and other scheme stakeholders, issuing a detailed process document, and sanction orders for financial release to NPIAs.

It would oversee the planning and implementation of awareness campaigns, undertaking capacity building activities, and coordinating with regulatory commissions of rooftop solar-related regulation. It would also supervise and conduct monitoring and evaluation studies from time to time. However, undertake any other task that may be required for the smooth implementation of the Yojna.

The PM Surya Ghar scheme was approved by the government on February 29, 2024. It has a total financial outlay of Rs 75,021 crore. The administrative approval for the same was given for this grid-connected rooftop solar on March 16, 2024. The scheme with a revised target and increased subsidies was launched in India after the country witnessed a slow growth of the residential rooftop sector. Despite previous efforts, out of India’s 81 GW of solar capacities, the contribution from rooftop solar stood at only 12 GW.