PM Surya Ghar vs PM-KUSUM: an EPC decision guide

The pm surya ghar vs pm kusum difference for an EPC comes down to one question: is this a home or a farm? PM Surya Ghar funds rooftop solar on houses. PM-KUSUM is a separate scheme for agricultural solar. Match the customer to the scheme, then quote.

The core difference in one line

PM Surya Ghar is residential rooftop solar; PM-KUSUM is agricultural solar. That single line settles most cases. If the customer wants to cut a home electricity bill, you are looking at PM Surya Ghar. If they are a farmer with a pump or spare land, you are looking at PM-KUSUM.

These are two different schemes run under the same ministry, with different rules, different portals and different money flows. Many EPCs serve both kinds of customer. The mistake is treating them as one scheme, or quoting a farmer the rooftop subsidy slabs. Keep them apart.

What PM Surya Ghar covers

PM Surya Ghar covers grid-tied rooftop solar on residential homes. A homeowner applies on the National Portal, picks an empanelled vendor, and gets a fixed subsidy paid straight to their bank after the system is commissioned and net-metered.

The residential subsidy slabs

The subsidy is ₹30,000 per kW up to 2 kW, plus ₹18,000 for the third kW, which caps at ₹78,000 for any system of 3 kW or more. A 5 kW or 10 kW home system still gets the same ₹78,000. The payout is figured on the MNRE benchmark cost, not on your quoted price.

Who gets the money

The subsidy goes to the customer by DBT after commissioning and net metering — it does not come to you. You install, file the claim, and the homeowner is paid. Systems up to 10 kW also enjoy deemed feasibility, which speeds the grid connection.

What PM-KUSUM covers

PM-KUSUM covers agricultural solar through three components, named A, B and C. It does not touch residential rooftops at all. The scheme helps farmers cut diesel and power costs and earn income from solar, so the customer is a farmer or a rural landowner, not a homeowner.

The three components in plain words

• Component A — small ground-mount solar plants on barren or fallow land that feed power to the grid, giving the landowner income.
• Component B — standalone solar pumps for farms with no reliable grid, replacing diesel pumps.
• Component C — solarising existing grid-connected pumps, so the farmer self-uses solar and can sell surplus power.

How the money works

PM-KUSUM funding is shared between the Centre, the state and the farmer, and the split changes by component and by state. These figures are not fixed like the rooftop slabs, so treat any KUSUM number as illustrative and verify the current split with MNRE and your state nodal agency before you quote.

Which scheme fits the customer in front of you

Use this table to match a real customer to the right scheme. Read the situation on the left, then follow the row across to the scheme, the reason, your role and what to check first.

Figures and component rules are illustrative — verify the current PM-KUSUM split and PM Surya Ghar process with MNRE and your state nodal agency. Source: MNRE and the scheme portals.

PM Surya Ghar vs PM-KUSUM side by side

Here are the two schemes lined up on the points that matter when you scope a job. The contrast shows why you cannot reuse one scheme's rules for the other.

KUSUM subsidy splits change by component and state and are illustrative — verify with MNRE before quoting. PM Surya Ghar slabs are national scheme facts, not a guarantee of payout timing.

Serving a mixed residential and agricultural base

If you serve both homes and farms, you run two scheme tracks at once, and that is fine. The key is tagging every lead by scheme at the start, so a rooftop home job never lands in the KUSUM channel or vice versa. The portals, paperwork and money flows differ.

Sort the lead before you scope

Ask two quick questions on first contact: is this a home or a farm, and what do they want the solar to do? A home cutting a bill is PM Surya Ghar. A pump, barren land or surplus sale points to PM-KUSUM. Sort first, then send the right crew and the right quote.

Keep the document sets apart

Residential jobs need the homeowner's electricity bill, Aadhaar and bank details that match for DBT. KUSUM jobs need land records and the state nodal agency's forms. Mixing the two slows both down. A clean split per scheme keeps each pipeline moving.

Can one customer use both schemes?

Yes, one customer can use both schemes, but only for separate purposes. A farmer might solarise a pump under PM-KUSUM and also claim PM Surya Ghar for the rooftop on their house. The schemes cover different sites, so they do not clash — but you cannot fund the same system from both.

This is common in rural areas where the same family has a farm and a home. Treat them as two projects with two claims. Our guide on rural and agri rooftop versus KUSUM walks through where a farmhouse rooftop ends and a KUSUM pump job begins.

Your role differs in each scheme

Your job changes with the scheme, even though both involve solar. Under PM Surya Ghar you are an empanelled rooftop installer filing a National Portal claim. Under PM-KUSUM you work through the state KUSUM channel, often on pumps or ground-mount, with land and DISCOM steps instead.

Rooftop installer versus agri-solar developer

For PM Surya Ghar you size a roof, install panels, arrange net metering and file the subsidy claim. For PM-KUSUM Component A you become a small power-plant developer signing a deal with the DISCOM. For Components B and C you size pumps and pump-solarisation kits. Different skills, same firm.

What to verify before you quote either scheme

Verify the live numbers before you put any subsidy in writing, because both schemes change. PM Surya Ghar slabs are stable, but timing and process shift. PM-KUSUM splits move more often, so treat every KUSUM figure as illustrative until your state nodal agency confirms it.

• PM Surya Ghar slab and cap — confirm the current ₹78,000 cap on the National Portal before quoting.
• PM-KUSUM component split — verify the Centre, state and farmer shares with MNRE and your state agency.
• Which KUSUM component applies — A, B or C changes the whole scope, so confirm it early.
• DISCOM capacity for KUSUM-A — check the DISCOM can buy the power before you promise a ground-mount deal.
• Net-metering rules — confirm the metering type with the DISCOM for both rooftop and KUSUM-C.

When in doubt, label the figure an estimate in your quote and tell the customer to confirm with the DISCOM or state nodal agency. Honesty here protects you if a scheme number changes between your quote and the install.

How SuryaHub helps you run both scheme tracks

SuryaHub lets you tag each lead by scheme, so residential PM Surya Ghar jobs and agricultural projects sit in the same pipeline without getting mixed up. You run a home rooftop from lead through net metering to the subsidy claim, and you track the separate document set and DISCOM steps a KUSUM job needs. SuryaHub is pre-revenue; real pilots are Suryantra Energy and RGESPL, AI features are on the roadmap, and the scheme figures here are facts to verify, not guarantees.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Sources & references

Scheme definitions, subsidy slabs and component rules come from primary government sources. PM-KUSUM splits and PM Surya Ghar timing change, so confirm the current figures with MNRE, the scheme portals and your state nodal agency before you quote. This is a living page.

• National Portal for PM Surya Ghar ↗

  Residential rooftop scheme rules, subsidy slabs and the consumer process.

• Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) ↗

  Guidelines for both PM Surya Ghar and PM-KUSUM, including component splits.

• PM-KUSUM portal (MNRE) ↗

  Component A, B and C definitions and current subsidy structure.