How does India's residential solar program work and what government support is available to help families adopt solar power?

India has created a comprehensive residential solar ecosystem through the Pradhan Mantri Suryakhar scheme, offering families up to ₹78,000 in direct subsidies. The program utilizes a sophisticated IT infrastructure via the National Solar Portal (pmsurighar.gov.in), enabling quick application processing and subsidy distribution within 30 days of installation. The key innovation is net metering, which allows households to use the electrical grid as a free battery. During daylight, excess solar power is fed into the grid, and at night, families draw back equivalent power, potentially reducing electricity bills to zero. This decentralized approach transforms every home into a mini power plant while reducing grid pressure. The stable policy framework and streamlined digital processes have made solar adoption accessible across India's complex network of 73 distribution companies, creating a consumer-driven energy revolution that benefits both individual families and the national grid.