NEW DELHI, 16 Sep: Delhi has set a target of facilitating around 230,000 solar panel installations in the coming months as part of its plan to make the national capital India’s ‘Solar Capital’, Energy Minister Ashish Sood said on Wednesday.
Addressing a meeting of solar vendors organised under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, Sood said the government would work with vendors and other stakeholders to accelerate solar adoption across the city.
“We want to make Delhi the ‘Solar Capital’ of India. We are followers of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, who works with speed and at a large scale, and we will try to work at the same pace,” Sood said.
The minister said the government was addressing payment-related hurdles faced by consumers and vendors. Under the new arrangement, the government would take responsibility for payments to vendors, reducing the need for consumers to make advance payments.
“Consumers are also hesitant to make advance payments. Therefore, we have removed this barrier between you and the consumer. We will make the entire payment. The government is taking responsibility for it,” he said.
The Energy Department has also launched a dedicated portal for registration of solar vendors, while Sood invited them to submit suggestions to improve implementation.
The proposed installations are expected to involve an investment of ₹2,600 crore to ₹2,700 crore over the next six months, he said.
Sood said the expansion of rooftop solar could generate local employment, support Delhi’s economic activity and contribute to sustainable development.
He called for greater coordination among the government, vendors, industry and consumers to achieve the target.
