PM Surya Ghar Subsidy Credit Time: How Many Days?

Your customer's panels are generating power. The commissioning certificate is on the portal. But the PM Surya Ghar subsidy has not landed in their bank account, and it has been 60 days. This is avoidable. The problem is almost never the scheme itself. It is which step is blocked, and whether the customer or the DISCOM has to move next.

This guide covers the part that starts after commissioning: how long the central financial assistance (CFA) is meant to take, what the customer must do to start the clock, what usually stops it, and how to escalate. It uses the PM Surya Ghar 4-Gate Timeline, a simple way to see who owns each step from application to credit. Last checked against official sources on 14 October 2026.

What do the official sources say about credit time?

Different documents start the clock at different points. State all three when a customer asks "how many days?".

The DISCOM has its own statutory clock before any of this. Under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules as amended in February 2024, the licensee's time to commission rooftop solar systems was cut from thirty days to fifteen, the technical feasibility study is exempt for systems up to 10 kW, and distribution strengthening up to 5 kW is done by the DISCOM at its own cost (PIB, 23 February 2024). The subsidy clock only starts after that work is done.

The PM Surya Ghar 4-Gate Timeline

The subsidy is not one long wait. It is four gates in a fixed order, and each gate has a different owner. The flow below follows the MNRE operational guidelines and the PIB explainer.

Gate 1, apply and feasibility. The consumer applies on the National Portal with a valid consumer account number. The guidelines say rooftop systems up to 10 kW are deemed accepted without a technical feasibility approval, but until a state regulator or DISCOM operationalises this, the consumer uploads documents wherever state rules still require it. Check your DISCOM's current practice in the feasibility clearance glossary entry and in the rejection reasons guide.

Gate 2, install and upload. The consumer picks a vendor registered on the portal. After installation, the consumer updates the system details and uploads the documents the portal asks for, including geo-tagged photographs. The vendor may help fill this in through the consumer's login. The application then moves to the DISCOM.

Gate 3, inspection, net meter and commissioning certificate. The DISCOM physically inspects the system, signs the net metering agreement, installs the net meter (the DISCOM supplies it, or the consumer buys from enlisted meter vendors), and approves the application on the portal. The commissioning certificate is generated from the portal after the net meter is installed and the DISCOM has inspected. For what the meter does, see how a bidirectional meter works.

Gate 4, e-token redemption and CFA release. After the DISCOM's inspection, the e-token on the consumer's portal profile is activated with the CFA amount for the actual installed capacity. The consumer logs in and redeems it. The CFA is then released to the consumer's bank account. If the consumer took a PM Surya Ghar loan, it goes to the loan account first (see the loan question below). This is the gate most installers forget, because the consumer owns it, not the DISCOM.

What the customer must do after the commissioning certificate

This is where many "subsidy not received" calls start. The steps below come straight from the guidelines and the PIB explainer.

1. 1

   Log in to the portal

   The consumer opens their own profile on the National Portal and finds the e-token. It is activated only after the documents are uploaded and the DISCOM has inspected.

2. 2

   Submit bank details and a cancelled cheque

   The guidelines require the bank account details and a cancelled cheque image, a bank e-statement file, a passbook scan or another electronic document showing the account number is held by the consumer. The account must be held by the consumer.

3. 3

   Redeem the e-token

   The consumer redeems the e-token from their profile. The CFA is then released to their account. Ask the customer to do this the same day the certificate appears and screenshot the confirmation.

Why a subsidy gets stuck after commissioning

When the money has not arrived, check these in order. Each one is tied to the guidelines unless marked otherwise.

• DISCOM approval is not on the portal yet. The CFA is processed only after the DISCOM has physically verified the system and completed its step on the portal. If the application still shows as with the DISCOM, the delay is not in the subsidy step.
• The e-token has not been redeemed. The e-token is activated on DISCOM approval, but the money moves only when the consumer redeems it.
• Bank details or cheque are unclear or incomplete. The guidelines require the details and a document proving the account is the consumer's.
• Installed capacity differs from the sanctioned capacity. The e-token carries the CFA for the actual installed capacity, so the amount can differ from what the customer expected. Make sure the capacity in your documents matches what was installed.
• A loan account is involved. If the consumer took a PM Surya Ghar loan, the CFA goes to the loan account up to the outstanding amount, and any remainder to the bank account. A customer who expects the full sum in their savings account will think it is missing.
• Portal notices and rule changes. Name-matching and verification rules change from time to time. Check the notices on the portal for anything newer than this guide.

For application-stage problems that only surface later, read the application mistakes guide. For rejection and resubmission, see why applications get rejected before this stage.

Pre-inspection packet: what to have ready

Exact documents are set by the portal and your DISCOM, so confirm both. The guidelines name these items:

• System details updated on the portal after installation
• Geo-tagged photographs of the installation
• The net metering agreement (the guidelines include a model agreement; the actual form may vary by state)
• Domestic content compliance. Solar modules must meet the Domestic Content Requirement or the installation is ineligible for CFA. See the ALMM List-II exemption post for current dates.

Many DISCOMs also ask for a single-line diagram, a commissioning report in their own format and the consumer's recent bills. That varies by DISCOM, so ask yours rather than assuming.

What is the subsidy amount?

The CFA is calculated on the actual installed capacity. Per the MNRE guidelines:

State top-up subsidies run on their own timelines and are not covered here. See state top-up subsidies, and current subsidy slabs for the full slab.

How to escalate when the credit is late

Escalate in order and keep every reference number. Use the clocks above: if the DISCOM has approved and the customer has redeemed the e-token, count from there.

1. Raise a grievance on the National Portal. Consumers and vendors can raise grievances through the portal, the national call centre or the portal app. Each gets a unique tracking ID, and the guidelines say grievances are to be resolved within 30 days (clause 11).
2. Call the national call centre on 15555. PIB confirms the scheme's call centre number is 15555, operating in 12 languages (PIB, 8 December 2025). Quote the application ID and the grievance ID.
3. Chase the DISCOM if the delay sits with it. If the application is still with the DISCOM for inspection, the net meter or the agreement, write to the DISCOM sub-division office and then the DISCOM's own grievance channel. Consumers can also approach the DISCOM's Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF). The MNRE model net metering agreement names the CGRF for billing grievances, and the forum's reach for other grievances depends on the state's regulations.
4. Use the central public grievance portal (CPGRAMS) as a further route for complaints about a central scheme.

The grievance route the scheme guidelines set out for CFA is the portal, the call centre and the app. They do not name the state electricity regulator for it. Use 15555, the number PIB lists. Other helpline numbers circulate on third-party sites, and we could not confirm them on an official source.

Loans and the subsidy

A consumer who finances the system through the portal gets collateral-free loans from banks at benchmark rates (repo plus 50 basis points under the guidelines). PIB put that at 6% a year for the present in its 8 December 2025 release, but the rate on the day depends on the bank. When the e-token is redeemed, the CFA goes to the loan account up to the outstanding amount, and any balance goes to the bank account. See the bank loan process for the full picture.

2026 context to keep in mind

PIB's 8 December 2025 release said the scheme's target of one crore households is to be met by FY 2026-27, and it described an online process from registration to disbursal through the National Portal. Policy changes that touch credit are tracked in 2025-2026 policy changes. Check the portal for the live registration window before promising anything to a customer.

How Quickest Solar CRM fits

Twenty or thirty live files is where most small EPC teams lose track. A certificate is downloaded but the e-token is never redeemed, and nobody notices for a month.

• Pipeline Management: tag every lead with its current gate (G1 to G4) so your ops team sees which files wait on the DISCOM and which wait on the customer.
• WhatsApp Follow-up: keep a saved message template that reminds the customer to redeem the e-token, and send it when a job moves to Gate 4.
• See a live pipeline in a demo to set up gate stages for your own team.

Also read: PM Surya Ghar eligibility, how to calculate the subsidy and the PM Surya Ghar FAQ.

What to do this week

Open every installed job from the last 90 days and check its gate on the portal. For each one past Gate 3, confirm the customer has uploaded bank details and redeemed the e-token. Escalate any that are still stuck using the order above.

Then add the "day of commissioning" checklist to your handover sheet. Finally, put the sourced clocks in your customer contract as a plain note: the scheme states 15 and 30 day targets from the last step, and they are not guarantees. Customers who expected a promise tell everyone they know. To see how a subsidy wait feeds into your own bank balance, read cash flow for solar EPCs.

Sources

• MNRE Guidelines for PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, CFA to Residential Consumers (file uploaded to the MNRE CDN in July 2025; the 2024 version carries the same clauses)
• PIB, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijlee Yojana explainer, 1 March 2024
• PIB, PM Surya Ghar: India's Solar Revolution, 13 March 2025
• PIB, PM Surya Ghar reaches 23.96 lakh households, 8 December 2025
• PIB, Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules amendment, 23 February 2024

Frequently asked questions

In how many days will the PM Surya Ghar subsidy be credited?

The scheme states targets, not guarantees. MNRE's guidelines say the CFA is processed within 15 days of DISCOM approval, and PIB's explainer says it reaches the bank account within 30 days of the consumer submitting bank details and a cancelled cheque after the commissioning report. The actual time from application depends on the DISCOM's approval and on the consumer redeeming the e-token.

When does the subsidy clock start?

Sources phrase it differently. The guidelines count from DISCOM approval. PIB's March 2025 release counts from the consumer's redemption request, with around 15 days when all credentials are correct. PIB's March 2024 explainer counts from the consumer submitting bank details and a cancelled cheque after the commissioning report, with 30 days.

What must the customer do after the commissioning certificate?

Log in to the National Portal, submit bank account details and a cancelled cheque (or an equivalent document showing the account number is theirs), and redeem the e-token. The CFA is released only after redemption.

Why has my PM Surya Ghar subsidy not arrived?

Common causes: DISCOM approval is still pending on the portal, the e-token has not been redeemed, the cancelled cheque or bank details are unclear, the installed capacity differs from the sanctioned capacity (the CFA is on actual installed capacity), or the money went to a loan account first. Check the portal for any newer verification notice.

Who do I contact if the subsidy is late?

Raise a grievance on the National Portal (the guidelines say grievances are to be resolved within 30 days) and call the national call centre on 15555. If the delay sits with the DISCOM, write to the DISCOM and, where your state allows it, its Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum.

How much is the PM Surya Ghar subsidy?

₹30,000 per kWp for the first 2 kWp and ₹18,000 for the third kWp, capped at ₹78,000 for 3 kWp or more. In special category states it is ₹33,000 and ₹19,800 per kWp, capped at ₹85,800. The amount is based on actual installed capacity.

What if I took a PM Surya Ghar loan?

When the e-token is redeemed, the CFA goes to the loan account up to the outstanding loan amount. Any remainder goes to the consumer's bank account. Check the current rate with your bank.

Does the DISCOM also have a deadline?

Yes. Under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules as amended in February 2024, the licensee's time to commission rooftop solar systems was cut from thirty days to fifteen. Check your state regulation and the consolidated rules for the current text.