India, Sept. 11 -- After years of stop-start progress, India's rooftop solar (RTS) campaign has finally gained momentum. Since the launch of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in February 2024, registrations have crossed 17.1 million, installations have passed 1 million households, and annual residential capacity has increased from barely half a gigawatt (GW) to nearly three gigawatts (on an annual energy basis - that is, discounting solar's daily downtime - a 1 GW solar plant can supply electricity to roughly 1.2-1.3 million Indian households for a year). The scheme has clearly unlocked demand. The next step is to ensure supportive policies not only sustain this growth but also spread its benefits equitably.

Why a consumer-first RTS pu...