Government Schemes

PM Surya Ghar Vendor Agreement: Reported Consumer Approval

By FGE Solar Editorial Team··8 min read

Planning rooftop solar in Kerala under PM Surya Ghar? Four Indian news sites reported on 23 and 24 September 2026 that the portal now asks you to approve or reject the PM Surya Ghar vendor agreement in your own login before your installer can upload installation details. This change is reported and not yet officially confirmed. This guide keeps the reported step apart from what MNRE and PIB have confirmed about agreements on the portal.

Checked6 Oct 2026
StatusReported by four outlets; no MNRE or PIB notice yet
Confirmed sourcesMNRE subsidy guidelines; PIB releases of 25 Mar and 4 Aug 2026
Kerala homeowner checking a rooftop solar quotation against a phone

Quick answer: According to Saur Energy, Energetica India and EPR Magazine, your vendor uploads the agreement, you get an SMS, email and portal alert, and installation upload stays blocked until you approve it in your login. Officially, MNRE's guidelines leave the price and terms to you and the vendor, and PIB says the net metering agreement is part of the online application. Check the total cost and the brands against your written quote before you approve anything.

What the news reports say about the approval step

Reported, not yet officially confirmed. Saur Energy and Energetica India reported on 23 September 2026, and Indian Infrastructure and EPR Magazine on 24 September 2026, that MNRE has added a step where the homeowner must approve the vendor agreement on the PM Surya Ghar portal. EPR Magazine credits MNRE's X handle as its source. The other three attribute the change to MNRE without naming a document.

According to Saur Energy and Energetica India, the vendor uploads the agreement in the portal's My Applications section, and your application then shows the status 'Agreement sent to Consumer for Confirmation'. Both say you then get an SMS, an email and a portal alert asking you to approve or reject it in your own login. All three outlets report that the vendor cannot upload installation details until you approve.

Saur Energy and Energetica India also report that the vendor must enter the total cost of the plant, including taxes and all charges, when uploading the agreement. They say this figure must match the quotation entered at the feasibility stage where that applies, such as loan applications or plants above 10 kW.

If you reject the agreement, the reports say your vendor sees your remarks and can upload a corrected copy. Saur Energy and Energetica India add that any edit after you approve cancels that approval and sends the agreement back to you. Energetica India writes that vendors have been advised to make sure brands and prices in the agreement match the portal and the actual installation.

What is officially confirmed about agreements on the portal

Under MNRE's PM Surya Ghar subsidy guidelines, you choose any vendor registered on the National Portal, at rates the two of you agree. There is no DISCOM tendering or rate discovery to set vendors' prices. You and the vendor decide the system design, components and payment terms, and you may sign an agreement covering them. MNRE gives a sample agreement in Annexure 2, but the actual agreement can vary from case to case.

A second agreement, with KSEB, is the net metering agreement. PIB's release of 25 March 2026 says the net metering agreement has been made part of the application on the National Portal. The same release says the whole process, from application to the subsidy reaching your bank account, runs online.

PIB's release of 4 August 2026 describes the scheme as a 100 percent online, end-to-end process with no physical paperwork or in-person visits required from consumers. It lists a Digital Net Metering Agreement through the National Portal and a vendor rating framework whose star ratings consumers can see.

Once the plant is installed, the guidelines say you update the system details and geo-tagged photos on the portal, and the vendor may help through your login. KSEB, as the DISCOM, then inspects the plant and approves the application for subsidy release. KSEB and you also sign the metering agreement under Kerala's regulations.

PM Surya Ghar vendor agreement: what the model terms cover

  • Site survey and design: any extra work your roof needs gets a separate estimate and invoice, including GST, on top of the standard plant cost.
  • Panels: solar modules, including the cells, made in India and meeting MNRE standards.
  • Warranty: the complete system warranted for 5 years from the date KSEB commissions it, with the makers' component warranty papers handed to you.
  • Net meter and grid connection: supply, testing and approvals of the net meter, and the grid connection, are in the vendor's scope.
  • Maintenance: 5 years of comprehensive operation and maintenance, including wear and tear.
  • Performance: a performance ratio of 75% at commissioning, kept up through the 5-year warranty.
  • Price: the plant cost and payment schedule are agreed between you, and you may choose milestone-based payments written into the agreement.
  • Apply online on the National Portal and upload your documents.
  • Store delivered material safely until handover, and give access to the roof.
  • Provide electricity during installation and water for panel cleaning.
  • Report faults to the vendor during the warranty period, and pay as per the agreed schedule.

What this means for you now

  • Get a written quotation with the total price, including GST and every charge, before the vendor starts any paperwork.
  • When an agreement reaches you on the portal, compare the price, panel and inverter brands, capacity and payment stages with that written quote.
  • Look for the warranty and maintenance years and the net meter scope in the agreement; the model terms above show what MNRE suggests.
  • Do not approve anything that differs from what you agreed, and write clear remarks if you send it back.
  • Never share your portal password or one-time codes with anyone, including your installer.
  • Keep a copy of the signed agreement, the quotation and every payment receipt.

If the reports are right, your approval is what lets your vendor move on to installation uploads, so it is your main chance to catch a wrong price or brand first. Energetica India and EPR Magazine both describe the step as a review in your own login before installation can proceed.

For portal problems, the PM Surya Ghar call centre on 15555 works in 12 languages, according to PIB. The model agreement is clear that a price or quality dispute is between you and the vendor, to be settled between you or under the law. MNRE and KSEB are not parties to it.

Where the official notice stands

As of 6 October 2026, no MNRE notice or PIB release describing this approval step could be found, and the PM Surya Ghar portal's public home page shows no notice about it. This page will be updated when MNRE or the portal publishes one.

Check this against your bill

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bargain on price with a PM Surya Ghar installer?

Yes. MNRE's guidelines let you pick any vendor registered on the National Portal at mutually decided rates. The scheme has no DISCOM tendering or rate discovery for vendors.

Who signs the net metering agreement for my home?

You sign it with KSEB, your DISCOM, under Kerala's metering regulations. On the National Portal it is now part of your online application. You do not sign it with the vendor.

How long should the system warranty be?

MNRE's model agreement asks for the complete system to be warranted for 5 years from commissioning by the DISCOM. Panel and inverter makers' warranties are separate papers the vendor should hand you.

Must the panels be made in India?

Yes, under the model agreement the solar modules, including the cells, should be manufactured in India. Both modules and inverters must also meet MNRE standards.

Can I see how other homeowners rate a vendor?

Yes. PIB says the scheme has a vendor rating framework with star ratings that consumers can see. Check a vendor's rating on the National Portal before you sign.

Official Sources and Accuracy Note

Accuracy note: This guide is built from government pages, regulator orders, and news sources on the web. Rules and amounts change. Some details may be outdated or wrong. Check the official links below before you pay, apply, or complain to KSEB.