Discuss how decentralised renewable schemes such as PM Surya Ghar and PM-KUSUM are reshaping the role of citizens and farmers in India's energy economy. What bottlenecks remain?

India reached 50% non-fossil installed capacity in June 2025, five years ahead of its NDC target [1]. A growing share of this comes from rooftops and farm pumps, not just large solar parks. This is turning passive consumers into "prosumers": people who both produce and consume power. However, institutional bottlenecks still limit the gains.

Reshaping the role of citizens and farmers

• Households as producers: PM Surya Ghar aims to cover 1 crore homes. By December 2025, 23.9 lakh homes had installed 7 GW of rooftop solar, with ₹13,464.6 crore of subsidy released [2].
• Lower bills, new income: Under net metering, surplus power goes to the grid. This cuts household spending on electricity.
• Farmers as energy entrepreneurs: Over 9 lakh standalone solar pumps have been installed under PM-KUSUM Component B [2]. Under Component C, grid-connected pumps are solarised, so farmers can sell surplus power to DISCOMs.
• Diesel substitution: Solar pumps give reliable daytime irrigation and reduce diesel use [3].
• Jobs and manufacturing demand: Mass demand supports the PLI scheme and India's goal of indigenous solar cells by 2028 [4].

Bottlenecks that remain

• Slow last-mile delivery: Only 16 lakh+ of 49 lakh pumps under PM-KUSUM have been installed or solarised [3]. Delays come from state agencies, the farmer's share of the cost and DISCOM approvals.
• DISCOM finances: Homes that produce their own power pay DISCOMs less. DISCOMs that already run at a loss then have a reason to delay net-metering approvals.
• Fiscal cost: The subsidy works out to about ₹56,000 per home [2], and the 1-crore target is still far away.
• Equity gap: Renters, flat-dwellers and homes with weak roofs are left out.
• Groundwater stress: Once a solar pump is installed, extra pumping costs almost nothing, which can speed up aquifer depletion.
• Import dependence: Wafers and ingots are not yet made in India at scale [4].
• Capacity vs generation: Daytime solar cannot meet the evening peak without storage.

Way forward: Within the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), plan for the revenue DISCOMs lose to rooftop solar. Link pump allocation to water budgets under the Atal Bhujal Yojana. Pair new solar capacity with battery storage, and keep the 2028 cell target on track.

Decentralised solar is spreading both energy and its economic benefits to ordinary households. If delivery and DISCOM health improve, PM Surya Ghar and PM-KUSUM can turn SDG 7 (affordable, clean energy) into a citizen-led transition.