Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Wednesday, 24 June 2026 that Maharashtra has secured the top position in the country for rooftop solar installations under the central scheme PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, making the declaration during the ongoing Monsoon Session 2026 of the Vidhan Parishad in Mumbai.

Context

Addressing the upper house of the Maharashtra legislature, Fadnavis stated — in a bilingual post mixing English and Marathi — that 'पीएम सूर्य घर मोफत वीज योजनेच्या माध्यमातून रूफटॉप सोलर बसवून घेण्याच्या बाबतीत महाराष्ट्र देशात प्रथम क्रमांकावर आहे' ('Maharashtra stands first in the country in rooftop solar installation under the PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme'). The claim positions the state as the national leader in a programme that carries significant political and policy weight for the ruling dispensation.

The Monsoon Session 2026 of the Vidhan Parishad has provided a legislative platform for the government to highlight flagship scheme achievements. Fadnavis, who has served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra since 2014 across multiple terms, has consistently championed renewable energy targets as a marker of governance performance.

Policy Backdrop

The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana was announced in the Union Budget 2024 with an ambitious national target of one crore rooftop solar installations and central financial support of over Rs 75,000 crore. The scheme offers subsidies enabling eligible households to receive up to 300 units of free electricity per month, making it one of the largest distributed solar programmes in the country's history.

Implementation flows through state agencies, and the scheme has generated visible inter-state competition in installation numbers tracked on a national dashboard. Maharashtra has historically ranked among the top states in solar capacity addition under both the National Solar Mission and earlier state-specific rooftop programmes, giving it a structural advantage in mobilising installers and urban households.

India's broader renewable energy policy targets 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, with distributed rooftop solar positioned alongside utility-scale parks as a critical pillar of that goal.

Stakeholders and Impact

Urban households across Maharashtra stand to benefit most directly, gaining access to subsidised solar installations and reduced electricity bills. The solar installation industry — comprising equipment manufacturers, local installers, and financing institutions — also gains from accelerated demand generated by the scheme's subsidy structure.

A top national ranking carries reputational and fiscal implications: states that demonstrate high absorption of central scheme funds and targets are typically better positioned during annual plan allocations and scheme reviews by the central government. For Fadnavis and the ruling coalition, the achievement provides a tangible data point ahead of future electoral cycles.

What's Next

Quarterly updates on the national PM Surya Ghar dashboard will be closely watched to see whether Maharashtra sustains its top position as other large states accelerate their own installation drives. Any comparative state performance data released during the remainder of the 2026 Monsoon Session could add further detail to the claim made on the floor of the Vidhan Parishad. The government is expected to follow up with district-level breakdowns and beneficiary numbers to substantiate the ranking to legislators and the public.