Solar rooftop installations in West Bengal rise by nearly 7 times via central scheme

Installations and subsidies surgeRooftop solar installations across west Bengal, as part of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojna solar rooftop scheme, have shot up by nearly seven times since May 2026, coinciding with the change in the state government, while the total subsidy released for the state is now more than eight times of what it stood as on April 30, the latest data shows.Officials said there has been a strong focus on facilitation of the scheme as key state and Central priorities. (File photo)While the scheme was launched in February 2024, West Bengal had only seen 1,477 solar rooftop installations till April 30, 2026, with ₹4.21 crore in subsidies released in total.Officials, part of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said there remained stiff resistance from the local state government on a widescale implementation of the Central scheme, however, the scenario has changed rapidly since the new state government took over.In just over five months, the total installations in West Bengal has shot up to 10,146 as of October 15, 2026, with the total subsidy released standing at ₹34.62 crore.Also Read: Delhi govt’s new solar policy may cut cost of rooftop installationState government focuses on scheme facilitationThe new BJP-led state government took charge on May 9, 2026, replacing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led state government. Officials said there has been a strong focus on facilitation of the scheme as key state and central priorities.The central government scheme, which provides subsidies for solar rooftop installation up to ₹78,000, has set a target of covering 10 million households by March 2027. So far, around 6.3 million households have been covered.“Despite its considerable population and size, West Bengal was among the states faring poorest so far in the scheme. We were seeing a lot of resistance from the state government. However, that has changed in the last few months and figures are rising rapidly,” said a senior official in the Ministry, adding there remains considerable scope in the coming months to take this figure even higher.Also Read:Uttar Pradesh on top in rooftop solar rollout under PM Surya Ghar schemeMonthly installations climbMonth-on-month data shows a similar spike.In May 2026, West Bengal saw 218 rooftop installations. It was 526 installations in June 2026; 1,226 installations in July 2026; 1,936 installations in August 2026 and 2,742 in September. In October, over 2,000 installations have already been completed so far as the uptake in numbers continue.In April, prior to the state elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in a state rally criticised the TMC government for obstructing implementation of the central scheme, aimed to make electricity bills zero. He had also cited the example of West Bengal’s neighbouring state Odisha, in successful implementation of the scheme, which was proving beneficial to its residents.Also Read: Consumers to ‘prosumers’: Lucknow’s solar shift rewires city’s power equationSubsidy allocations across statesSo far, around ₹34,052.54 crore has been released in subsidies across states, with Gujarat leading the way, where ₹6,374.71 crore has been allocated so far. Other states include ₹5,932.37 crore in Maharashtra, ₹5,841.59 crore in Uttar Pradesh, ₹2,401.49 crore in Kerala and ₹2,283.26 crore in Rajasthan.“This shows West Bengal still has a long way to go, but can contribute significantly,” the official added.