CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has made steady progress in rooftop solar adoption under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, recording a relatively high conversion rate from applications to commissioned systems.
However, the State continues to trail national leaders in overall scale and currently ranks ninth among States in terms of households benefiting from the scheme, with Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh dominating rooftop solar deployment.
In a written reply to a question raised by Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Power Shripad Yesso Naik said that as of January 28, 2026, Tamil Nadu received 67,833 applications under the scheme and completed 53,834 rooftop solar installations, benefiting 63,049 households.
The ratio of installations to applications places the State among the better performers in implementation efficiency, even though the absolute numbers remain modest.
At the national level, the demand-driven scheme has attracted over 58.25 lakh applications since its launch in February 2024, while 22.48 lakh rooftop solar systems have been installed, benefiting 28.02 lakh households.
Gujarat has emerged as the frontrunner, with nearly 7.78 lakh households benefiting from rooftop solar installations. Maharashtra follows with about 6.8 lakh households, while Uttar Pradesh ranks third with over 3.58 lakh households covered.
Among southern States, Kerala has outperformed its peers, with more than 1.92 lakh households benefiting from the scheme. Andhra Pradesh ranks second in the region with 96,196 households covered and has recorded 12.51 lakh applicants, the highest in the country.
Tamil Nadu ranks third among the southern States, even as it stands ninth nationally, ahead of Telangana with 38,426 households and Karnataka with 24,583 households.
Within Tamil Nadu, rooftop solar adoption is concentrated in urban and industrial districts. Coimbatore leads with 10,738 households benefiting from completed installations, followed by Chennai with 7,964 households and Chengalpattu with 6,233 households.
Tiruppur, Salem, Namakkal and Tiruchirappalli have each crossed 2,500 beneficiary households, reflecting higher electricity consumption and greater awareness in these regions.
A senior TNGECL official said that the discom is encouraging domestic consumers to switch to solar rooftop and simplified the application process. “We want the people to make use of the subsidy provided under the scheme for adopting the environmentally friendly rooftop solar system to cut down on their electricity bills,” the official said.