Modi's first decision after Ayodhya visit: Scheme to install solar rooftops on 1 crore houses

PM Modi announced the scheme's launch following his return from Ayodhya

After returning from Ayodhya following the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22 announced that his first decision is to launch a scheme to install solar rooftops in one crore houses.

"The first decision I have taken after returning from Ayodhya is that our government will launch 'Pradhanmantri Suryoday Yojana' with the target of installing solar rooftops on 1 crore houses," Modi said, in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.

"This will not only reduce the electricity bill of the poor and middle class but will also make India self-reliant in the energy sector," the PM added.

"All the devotees of the world always get energy from the light of Suryavanshi Lord Shri Ram," he said.

"Today, on the auspicious occasion of consecration in Ayodhya, my resolution got further strengthened that the people of India should have their solar rooftop system on the roof of their houses," Modi further added.

Industry stakeholders welcomed the announcement made by the prime minister. Neeraj Kuldeep, Senior Programme Lead, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said India, both rural and urban, has a massive potential when it comes to installing solar systems on rooftops. As per a recent CEEW study, Indian households can technically deploy more than 640 GW of rooftop solar.

Currently, about 7-8 lakh households have installed rooftop solar systems and benefited from government capital subsidy programme, resulting in about 4 GW of solar capacity.

“Today’s announcement to solarise 1 crore households will give the necessary impetus to rooftop solar sector to reach the tipping point. The 12-14 fold increase in solar-powered households will add an additional 20-25 GW of solar capacity. This will not only help states save on electricity subsidy but also contribute to improving our power discoms’ financial health,” Kuldeep said.

Shreya Mishra, CEO, SolarSquare said policy support, increased subsidy and easing of solar permits are all tailwinds setting the ground for unprecedented solar adoption among homes in coming years.

“There is deep interest from consumers in becoming energy independent with solar and India should soon join the ranks of advanced residential solar markets like Germany, Australia and Brazil in home solar adoption,” Mishra said.

The Green Pivot

Solar and wind energy are poised to drive two-thirds of India's power generation growth by 2032 if the nation successfully attains its renewable energy targets, according to a new analysis conducted by the global energy think tank Ember.

Solar power in India has evolved significantly since 2017 when it accounted for only 1 percent of the country's power mix. Should India meet its solar targets outlined in the 14th National Electricity Plan (NEP14), its share is expected to surge from 5 percent to 25 percent during the financial year 2022-2032, marking a period of rapid expansion.

This suggests that India's power generation growth, which was predominantly coal-driven over the past decade, could shift toward solar and wind sources in the next 10 years, provided that India stays on course to achieve its NEP14 objectives, as per Ember's analysis.