Only 641 MW of 10,000 MW PM-KUSUM solar target achieved

Who it concerns: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (implied by scheme names), State Governments, Farmers, Household Consumers, and Solar Vendors.

What the committee found

• Committee noted that only 641 MW of the 10,000 MW target for decentralised solar plants under PM-KUSUM was installed as of July 2025 due to lack of central financial assistance and land conversion costs; it recommended providing central financial assistance for small-sized projects.
• Committee observed that 60,828 grid-connected pumps were sanctioned against a target of 1.5 lakh, with most confined to nine states/UTs; it recommended exploring ways to enhance funding since farmers bear about 70% of the cost in states without additional state assistance.
• Committee noted that the scheme does not provide support for the high cost of evacuating power from solar plants to the grid; it recommended that the responsibility for evacuating power be given to discoms.
• Committee recommended revising criteria for standalone solar pumps to allow higher capacities (above 7.5 horsepower) in states like Rajasthan with lower groundwater levels.
• Committee recommended undertaking an analysis of the impact of agrivoltaics on crops and income, and considering subsidies for its large-scale adoption.
• Committee noted high inter-state disparity in PM Surya Ghar implementation and a high loan rejection rate due to lack of clarity on house ownership; it recommended addressing approval delays, increasing consumer awareness, and ensuring easy loan availability.
• Committee noted a lack of suitable vendors in some states due to a Rs 2.5 lakh performance bank guarantee requirement; it recommended reducing this amount to incentivize more vendors.
• Committee observed shortages of rooftop solar components in far-flung areas; it recommended diversifying supply sources and increasing investment in local manufacturing.
• Committee recommended providing rooftop solar subsidies for single dwelling units in agricultural fields and providing 500-watt rooftop solar systems to PM Awas Yojana (PMAY) allottees who cannot afford upfront costs.

Also in the document

• As of July 2025, only 641 MW of the 10,000 MW target for decentralised solar plants under PM-KUSUM had been installed.
• Only 60,828 grid-connected pumps were sanctioned against a target of 1.5 lakh pumps.
• Under PM Surya Ghar, 1.38 crore registrations were received against a target of one crore households, but only 59 lakh applications had been processed.
• Farmers in states without additional state financial assistance bear approximately 70% of the total cost for solarising grid-connected pumps.