Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the country’s top state in rooftop solar installations under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, crossing 8.76 lakh installations and moving ahead of Gujarat.
The achievement has been attributed to the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and continuous monitoring by Urban Development and Energy Minister A.K. Sharma, with coordinated efforts by UPNEDA, the power department, distribution companies, banks and authorised vendors.
According to Sharma, Uttar Pradesh has now installed more than 2,942 MW of rooftop solar capacity, with the potential to generate over 1.32 crore units of clean electricity every day. The expansion is expected to reduce electricity expenditure for lakhs of households while strengthening the state’s energy security.
The rooftop solar programme is also projected to help avoid land requirements equivalent to around 11,700 acres and reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 34 lakh tonnes. The estimated carbon benefit is equivalent to the amount of carbon absorbed by more than 15 crore trees in a year.
The scheme has also created employment opportunities in the renewable energy sector. UPNEDA has empanelled more than 8,000 vendors, contributing to the creation of over one lakh direct employment opportunities. Solar manufacturing and allied industries are also expanding across industrial centres including Noida, Greater Noida, Jewar, Dadri, Mathura and Ghaziabad.
The impact of the scheme is reflected in district-level rankings as well. Fifteen districts of Uttar Pradesh feature among India’s top 100, with Lucknow securing the first position nationally and Varanasi ranking 10th. Financial assistance exceeding ₹7,700 crore through central and state subsidies has also helped make rooftop solar more accessible to domestic consumers.
Sharma said the state’s achievement went beyond securing the top position in installations, describing it as an important step towards expanding clean energy, environmental protection and energy self-reliance.
He said Uttar Pradesh was emerging not only as the leading state in rooftop solar adoption but also as an important centre for solar energy, green employment and a clean-energy-driven economy.
