Compliance · 8 min read · Published 8 Apr 2026
PM Surya Ghar 2026: A complete vendor checklist
Every document, every form, every signature an empanelled solar vendor needs at every stage of PMSG — written in plain English so your install crew, accounts team and customer all stay sane.
The Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG) is the single biggest reason Indian homeowners are buying solar in 2026 — and the single biggest reason vendors lose money chasing approvals. The portal is functional, the workflow is clear, but every stage demands a specific set of documents and any one of them missing pushes your subsidy claim back by weeks.
This is the complete checklist we maintain inside SolarIonix. Print it, stick it on your office wall, or — better — let the app track every project's stage automatically.
The 6 stages at a glance
- Application — consumer registers on the portal and selects a vendor.
- Feasibility approval — DISCOM checks if the connection can take a rooftop plant.
- Installation — vendor builds the system on site.
- Inspection — DISCOM engineer visits to verify install matches sanction.
- Net-meter & certificate — meter is replaced, 16-digit unique certificate issued.
- Subsidy disbursement — central subsidy hits the consumer's bank account.
Stage 1 — Application (consumer-led, vendor-supported)
The consumer registers at pmsuryaghar.gov.in. They will need:
- Most-recent electricity bill (PDF, < 2 MB)
- Aadhaar (number, not card image — for OTP only)
- PAN (only required if claiming > 1 lakh subsidy)
- A bank account in the consumer's name (for subsidy credit)
- Mobile number linked to Aadhaar for OTP
Your role: walk them through the registration in person or over a video call. Most failures at this stage are because the customer enters the consumer number wrong (off by one digit copied from an old bill) or uses a Jio number that's not Aadhaar-linked.
Stage 2 — Vendor selection & feasibility
Once the application is submitted, the consumer picks a vendor from the empanelled list. Make sure your name is spelled correctly on the portal — small spelling differences cost you leads every week.
Documents you upload at this stage:
- Empanelment certificate (PDF)
- GSTIN proof
- Authorised signatory ID
- Site survey report (sketch + photos)
- Proposed system size in kW and panel/inverter brand & model
The DISCOM then has up to 15 working days to issue feasibility approval. Track this clock. If 15 days pass and you've heard nothing, escalate via the portal grievance link — don't just wait.
Stage 3 — Installation
Once feasibility is approved, you have 180 days to install. Document everything as you go:
- Pre-installation site photos (date-stamped, GPS-tagged)
- Panel serial numbers (one photo per pallet, then per row after install)
- Inverter serial number plate
- Earthing pit photos with measuring tape visible
- AC/DC cable laying photos
- ACDB / DCDB box internals
- MCB ratings
- Final installation photos from 4 angles
- Customer satisfaction note (signed)
Inside SolarIonix every photo gets a stage tag (survey, design, installation, commissioning) and a GPS coordinate, so you can produce the exact set of photos the inspector asks for in seconds — no scrolling through 800 photos in WhatsApp.
Stage 4 — DISCOM inspection
You raise an inspection request through the portal. The DISCOM engineer visits within 7–15 days. Items they check:
- Installed kW capacity matches sanctioned capacity (±5%)
- Panels are ALMM List-I compliant (cross-check the model number against the latest MNRE list)
- Inverter brand and model match the proposal
- Earthing resistance < 5 ohm
- Net-meter is bidirectional and approved by the state DISCOM
- Single-line diagram (SLD) matches the actual install
Failed inspections almost always come down to the same thing: the panel model the customer wanted isn't on the ALMM list, so the vendor swapped to a similar one without updating paperwork. The inspector spots the mismatch immediately.
Stage 5 — Net-meter & the 16-digit certificate
After a successful inspection, the DISCOM installs the bidirectional net-meter and issues the 16-digit unique certificate number. This number is non-negotiable — without it, no subsidy. Capture it in two places:
- The consumer's project record
- Your accounting records (you'll be asked for it during GST audit)
SolarIonix has a dedicated field for this on every project so it can never be lost.
Stage 6 — Subsidy disbursement
The subsidy amount (₹30k for 1 kW, ₹60k for 2 kW, ₹78k for 3+ kW as of 2026) is credited directly to the consumer's bank account, usually within 30 days of certificate issue. Your job at this stage:
- Confirm with the customer that the credit landed
- Issue the final tax invoice for the customer's share
- Close the project status to Completed
- Schedule the first AMC visit for 11 months later
Common reasons subsidies stall
- Bank account name mismatch — the account holder name on PFMS must exactly match the Aadhaar name.
- Non-ALMM panel — the model installed isn't on the latest list.
- Inspection mismatch — kW installed doesn't match kW sanctioned.
- Missing photos — the inspector wants serial-number photos that were never taken.
- Net-meter delay — DISCOM hasn't installed the meter even though inspection passed.
Every one of these is preventable with a checklist. Or with software that enforces the checklist for you.
How SolarIonix helps
SolarIonix has a dedicated PM Surya Ghar tracker that walks every residential rooftop project through the 6 stages above, with a per-stage document checklist, deadline reminders and an audit-ready document pack you can hand to the inspector in one tap.