- PM Surya Ghar leads come from two places: the portal and your own marketing.
- Portal leads are free to receive but you compete with every registered vendor.
- Own-marketing leads cost more but give you control, brand and referrals.
- The smart play is a mix: take free portal demand, build your own pipeline too.
- Fast replies and good ratings win more leads than the lowest price.
- Portal listing rules vary by DISCOM — verify current behaviour with your DISCOM.
Getting registered is step one. Getting work is the real game. Most small EPCs assume the portal will fill their calendar, then go quiet for weeks. This guide shows where PM Surya Ghar leads for installers actually come from, and how to build a pipeline you do not have to wait for.
Where do PM Surya Ghar leads actually come from?
PM Surya Ghar leads come from two channels: the government portal and your own marketing. The portal sends you homeowners who have already applied for the subsidy and want a registered vendor. Your own marketing — search, referrals, outreach — creates demand that you control.
Many installers treat these as the same thing. They are not. A portal lead is a buyer the scheme handed you, shared with other vendors. An own-marketing lead is a buyer who found you first. Both matter, and a healthy EPC uses both rather than betting on one.
How does the portal list vendors to homeowners?
The portal shows homeowners the registered vendors for their area so they can choose one. A homeowner applies on the National Portal, lands in their DISCOM's flow, and sees vendors empanelled for that area. The homeowner — not the portal — usually makes the final pick.
How the list is ordered, filtered or rotated can differ by DISCOM and by the portal version you are looking at. We will not invent an assignment algorithm here. Verify current behaviour with your DISCOM and the portal before you treat any listing rule as fixed.
What you can control
You control two things that clearly matter: the areas you register for and your vendor rating. Register only for DISCOM areas you can actually serve, so you appear where you can deliver. Then protect your rating, because homeowners compare it.
Portal-driven vs own-marketing leads, side by side
Here is how the two channels compare across the dimensions that decide whether a lead turns into a profitable job. Use it to see why most EPCs need both, not one.
Caption: comparison built by the SuryaHub team from field experience. Cost-per-lead figures are estimates and vary widely — verify for your area. Source: National Portal for PM Surya Ghar.
What is the real cost and control trade-off?
The trade-off is simple: portal leads are cheap but shared, own-marketing leads cost more but are yours. Portal leads carry no platform fee, so the cost is the competition. Own-marketing leads cost money or effort, but you keep the control, the brand and the repeat work.
An own-marketing lead might cost roughly ₹150 to ₹800 each once you add up your time, ad spend and referral effort. That number is a field estimate that varies a lot by town, channel and season — verify for your area. A referral can cost almost nothing; a paid click can cost more.
Why "free" portal leads are not really free
A portal lead with no fee still costs you to convert. You spend time replying, doing a site survey and quoting, often against several other vendors. If your reply is slow or your rating is weak, that "free" lead goes to someone else and your effort is wasted.
What does an own-marketing playbook look like?
A practical own-marketing playbook for a small EPC needs no big budget. It rests on a Google Business Profile, simple local pages, referrals, fast WhatsApp follow-up, society outreach and finance partners. Work through these six steps in order.
Claim your Google Business Profile
Set up a free Google Business Profile with your service area, photos of finished rooftops, and real reviews. Most local solar searches start on Google Maps, so this is the cheapest first move.
Build simple local SEO pages
Make a few honest pages for the towns you serve — "rooftop solar in [town]" — with your phone number, real project photos and prices. You rank for buyers near you without paying per click.
Turn every job into a referral
Ask each happy customer for one introduction and one review. Referrals are your lowest-cost, highest-trust leads, and they convert far better than cold enquiries.
Run a WhatsApp follow-up flow
Reply on WhatsApp within minutes, send a clear quote, and follow up a few times. Speed of reply often decides who wins a shared lead more than price does.
Do society and RWA outreach
Offer a group rate to a housing society or RWA. One society talk can produce several rooftop jobs in the same lane, which cuts your travel and survey cost per install.
Partner with finance referrers
Build a referral link with local banks, NBFCs and loan agents who meet homeowners weighing solar. A finance partner sends pre-qualified buyers who can actually pay for the system.
You do not need all six on day one. Start with the Google Business Profile and the referral habit — they cost the least and pay back fastest. Add society outreach and finance partners as you free up time. Each channel feeds the next.
How do ratings affect the portal leads you get?
Ratings affect portal leads because homeowners compare vendors before they choose. When a buyer sees several registered vendors, a clean rating and real feedback make you the safe pick. A poor rating, or a blacklisting flag, can quietly cost you every shared lead.
How much the portal itself weights ratings in any listing order can vary by DISCOM and version, so verify current behaviour with your DISCOM. Either way, your rating is worth protecting. Clean installs, honest timelines and quick fixes keep it high — see our blacklisting and ratings guide.
How do you convert a lead into a signed job?
You convert a lead into a signed job with speed, a clear quote, and steady follow-up. Most leads contact more than one vendor. The installer who replies first, explains the subsidy plainly, and sends a tidy quote usually wins — often before price even comes up.
- Reply in minutes — a fast WhatsApp message beats a slow, perfect email.
- Quote clearly — show system size, price, subsidy and what the buyer pays.
- Follow up 3–4 times — most jobs close on the second or third contact, not the first.
- Build trust — share real rooftop photos and a couple of local references.
- Price for margin — do not win on price alone; see our margin and pricing guide.
Track every lead in one place so none go cold. A lead you forget to follow up is the same as a lead you never had. A simple pipeline view, even a notebook, beats relying on memory.
How should a small EPC mix both channels?
A small EPC should take every free portal lead and build its own marketing on top, not choose one over the other. Treat portal leads as a base you do not control, and own-marketing leads as the part you grow with effort. The mix shifts as your area's demand shifts.
In a busy DISCOM area with lots of applications, portal leads alone might keep you busy for a while. In a quiet area, your own marketing carries the pipeline. Because you cannot predict portal volume, build the marketing muscle early — before a slow month forces it.
A simple starting split
Aim to never depend on a single channel for more than half your work. If the portal sends most of your jobs today, spend a few hours a week on referrals and your Google profile. The goal is a pipeline that holds up even when portal demand dips.
What are the common lead-generation mistakes?
Most lead-gen mistakes are about waiting, not skill. Avoid these and you will out-convert bigger, slower competitors.
- Waiting on the portal — assuming leads will arrive and doing no marketing of your own.
- Slow replies — answering enquiries a day later, after the buyer has chosen someone faster.
- No follow-up — quoting once and giving up when most jobs need three or four touches.
- Ignoring reviews — never asking happy customers for a rating or referral.
- Racing to the cheapest price — winning leads at a loss instead of selling value and trust.
- No tracking — losing leads in WhatsApp, calls and paper because nothing is in one list.
How SuryaHub helps you get and convert more leads
Leads only pay off if you convert them, and you only convert them if you track them. SuryaHub keeps every lead — portal or own marketing — in one solar CRM, from first contact through quote and site survey to signed job and subsidy claim, so none go cold. AI chatbot and AI caller features that auto-reply to leads are on our roadmap, not live yet. SuryaHub is pre-revenue; real pilots are Suryantra Energy and RGESPL, and any cost figures here are field estimates, not guarantees.
Stop losing leads to slow follow-up
See how SuryaHub tracks every lead from first call to signed job.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
How do small EPCs get PM Surya Ghar leads?+
Small EPCs get PM Surya Ghar leads two ways. The portal sends leads from homeowners who applied and selected a registered vendor in their area. Own marketing — Google Business Profile, local SEO, referrals and society outreach — creates leads you control. Most EPCs do best mixing both channels.
Are PM Surya Ghar portal leads free?+
PM Surya Ghar portal leads have no platform fee, so they are effectively free to receive once you are a registered vendor. The real cost is competition — homeowners see other registered vendors too. Your rating, response speed and pricing decide whether a portal lead becomes a signed job.
Does a higher vendor rating get more PM Surya Ghar leads?+
A higher vendor rating helps you win PM Surya Ghar leads because homeowners compare ratings before they choose. Exact portal listing behaviour varies by DISCOM and portal version, so verify current behaviour with your DISCOM. Good ratings and fast replies clearly improve your odds of being picked.
What is the best marketing for a small solar EPC?+
The best marketing for a small solar EPC is a Google Business Profile, a few local SEO pages, and a strong referral habit. These cost little and bring buyers near you. Society outreach and finance-partner referrals add steady pre-qualified leads on top of free portal demand.
How fast should I reply to a solar lead?+
Reply to a solar lead within minutes, not hours. Portal and online leads often contact several vendors at once, so the first installer to send a clear quote usually wins the conversation. A WhatsApp reply plus a follow-up call beats a slow, polished email every time.
Should small EPCs rely only on portal leads?+
No. Small EPCs should not rely only on portal leads, because portal volume depends on demand in your DISCOM area and you compete with every registered vendor. Mixing portal leads with your own marketing builds a brand, referrals and repeat work that you control and that compound over time.
How does SuryaHub help EPCs get and convert leads?+
SuryaHub tracks every lead — portal or own marketing — from first contact to signed job and subsidy claim, so none slip. AI chatbot and AI caller features are on the roadmap, not live yet. SuryaHub is pre-revenue; real pilots are Suryantra Energy and RGESPL.
Sources & references
The portal process and registered-vendor framework come from primary government sources. Cost-per-lead figures are field estimates, not official data — always verify current portal and DISCOM behaviour before you act on any listing rule.
- National Portal for PM Surya Ghar ↗
How homeowners apply, search and select registered vendors.
- Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) ↗
Scheme guidelines and the registered-vendor framework.
- REC Limited ↗
National registering authority for all-India vendors.
Written by the SuryaHub team · reviewed against MNRE & National Portal sources · updated 19 June 2026.
Method: The portal process is taken from the government sources above and re-checked every 30 days. Cost-per-lead and conversion figures are field estimates that vary by area — verify for yours. Portal listing rules vary by DISCOM; verify current behaviour with your DISCOM. SuryaHub is pre-revenue; AI chatbot/caller features are roadmap; only Suryantra Energy and RGESPL are real pilots.
Change log: 19 Jun 2026 — first published.