Taking a major leap in lighting homes with solar energy, Uttar Pradesh has become the second-largest state in the country in rooftop solar installations. More than 85,000 people have found employment so far through over 7,000 solar companies operating in the state.
Under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, Uttar Pradesh has overtaken Maharashtra to secure the second position in the country in domestic rooftop solar installations. So far, 674,393 domestic rooftop solar systems have been installed in the state. In the national ranking under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, Gujarat is ranked first with 749,839 installations, while Uttar Pradesh has reached the second position with 674,393 installations. Maharashtra is in third place with 673,717 installations.
Ravinder Singh, director of the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA), said that as a result of the rapid expansion of domestic rooftop solar in Uttar Pradesh, around 2,283.8 megawatts (2.28 gigawatts) of solar power capacity has been installed so far. As a result, lakhs of households in the state are generating clean energy from their rooftops. He said rooftop solar has reduced consumers’ dependence on conventional grid electricity while also significantly lowering their monthly electricity bills. Lakhs of families in the state are receiving the benefit of free solar power worth around Rs 6.5 crore every day.
The UPNEDA director said the large-scale expansion of the PM Surya Ghar scheme has played an important role in developing a strong solar economy ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh. More than 7,000 companies and business entities associated with the solar sector are active in the state, creating direct and indirect employment opportunities for over 85,000 people. He said a comprehensive employment value chain has developed, ranging from solar panel installation to surveying, designing, engineering, electrical work, net metering, logistics, sales, marketing, and operations and maintenance. This has created new employment and self-employment opportunities, particularly for youth, technical professionals, electricians, engineers, local entrepreneurs and small businesses.
According to the UPNEDA director, the rapidly growing demand for rooftop solar in Uttar Pradesh has also given fresh momentum to the state’s solar manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem. New manufacturing units and assembly lines have been established in the solar module and related equipment segments. At the same time, businesses associated with inverters, mounting structures, cables, electrical components, metering equipment, warehousing, transportation and logistics have also witnessed fresh demand. As a result, solar energy in the state is no longer merely a means of power generation but has emerged as a new economic force driving investment, industrial development, MSME expansion, local entrepreneurship and green jobs.
