Bhubaneswar, August 18: Odisha has emerged as one of India’s fastest-growing rooftop solar markets, climbing from 13th to 7th position nationally in rooftop solar installations under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, according to data available on the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) portal.

The State has crossed the landmark 1.5 lakh installation milestone, with 1.74 lakh rooftop solar systems installed, reflecting the rapid acceleration of residential solar adoption across Odisha. The State has also crossed 3.1 lakh applications, with 3,12,527 applications received under the scheme.

Odisha’s rise in the national ranking comes as the State combines strong government financial support, utility-led execution, an expanding vendor ecosystem, consumer facilitation and sustained grassroots mobilisation to convert consumer interest into rooftop solar installations. The State has moved ahead of Madhya Pradesh and Assam, reinforcing Odisha’s emergence as a significant contributor to India’s decentralised clean-energy transition.

Odisha’s rooftop solar programme has witnessed sharp acceleration in recent months. Applications have increased from 1,95,513 to 3,12,527, while installations have risen from 72,538 to 1.74 lakh. This represents approximately 60% growth in applications and more than 130% growth in installations, while the application-to-installation conversion has improved from 37.1% to 53.4%. The improvement reflects strengthening capacity across the customer journey, from application and approvals to installation, inspection, metering and commissioning.

A major driver of adoption has been the State’s additional financial support over and above the Central subsidy available under PM Surya Ghar. Eligible residential consumers can receive combined Central and State assistance of up to ₹1.38 lakh for a 3 kWp rooftop solar system, subject to applicable capacity, consumer category and scheme guidelines.

Odisha has set an ambitious target of 3 lakh rooftop solar installations by 2027. The strong subsidy proposition, combined with increasingly streamlined implementation, is helping make rooftop solar more accessible to households across urban, rural and semi-urban areas.

At the implementation level, the four discoms—TPCODL, TPWODL, TPNODL and TPSODL—have played a pivotal role in accelerating rooftop solar adoption across the State. Together, the discoms have facilitated ~1.74 lakh rooftop solar installations across their respective service areas. TPCODL has facilitated 56,842 installations, TPWODL 48,905, TPNODL 44,785 and TPSODL 23,881 installations.

The State’s progress is also broad-based. Baleshwar, Ganjam, Khordha and Cuttack have each crossed the 10,000-installation milestone. Baleshwar leads with 16,069 installations, followed by Ganjam with 15,301, Khordha with 14,236 and Cuttack with 13,343 installations. Together, the four districts account for approximately 143 MWp of rooftop solar capacity, highlighting their significant contribution to Odisha’s clean-energy transition.

The latest milestone reinforces Odisha’s growing leadership in rooftop solar deployment. With 3,12,527 applications, 1.74 lakh commissioned installations and 410 MWp of rooftop solar capacity, the State has a strong foundation for continued growth, while the Government’s subsidy support and the continued efforts of the four discoms are helping deepen adoption across rural, semi-urban and underserved markets.

Gajanan Kale, Chief- Odisha Distribution Business, Tata Power, said: “Odisha’s rise from 13th to 7th position nationally and the achievement of more than 1.5 lakh rooftop solar installations are a strong testament to the growing confidence of consumers in clean energy. The attractive subsidy support provided by the Government of Odisha, combined with the Central assistance under PM Surya Ghar, has created a compelling proposition for households. We are focused on ensuring that this demand translates into installations through strong last-mile execution, consumer facilitation, net-metering support, vendor coordination and grassroots engagement. Through initiatives such as ‘Mo Chhata, Mo Sanchaya’, Surya Ghar Gram Sabhas, ULA-based outreach and Solar Didi, we are working to make rooftop solar simpler, more accessible and more relevant to households across Odisha.”