India Solar Rules and Regulations 2026: Compliance Guide for EPCs

An Indian rooftop or C&I (commercial and industrial) solar project must follow CEA safety rules and use BIS-registered equipment. It must use ALMM-listed modules where the order applies. It also needs a DISCOM (power distribution company) connection approval under your state’s rules.

Each rule has its own owner. Meeting one does not meet the others. This guide shows who owns what and which records to keep.

India solar panel rules in short

• Safety: the CEA (Central Electricity Authority) sets technical and safety rules for connecting solar to the grid.
• Product quality: BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) registration is compulsory for solar modules. MNRE’s quality-control order also covers inverters.
• Approved lists: MNRE (the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) keeps the ALMM (Approved List of Models and Manufacturers). List-I covers modules. List-II covers cells.
• Domestic content: schemes such as PM Surya Ghar have their own rules on Indian-made cells and modules. This is the DCR (Domestic Content Requirement).
• Connection: your state commission and your DISCOM decide how your system connects and how exports are credited.
• Workers: the four labour codes in force since 21 November 2025 apply to the people who build and run the plant.

Who sets which rule

For state pages, see Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka. For the national picture, start with the India compliance overview. The wider region is covered in Asia-Pacific solar compliance.

CEA: safety and grid connection

The CEA publishes the technical standards for connecting small generators to the grid. They are the Technical Standards for Connectivity of the Distributed Generation Resources Regulations, 2013, amended in 2019. It also publishes the Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply Regulations, 2023. The CEA site lists an Amendment Regulations, 2026 to them, notified on 27 March 2026. Find the current texts on the CEA notified regulations page.

Your qualified engineer sets the circuit, protection and earthing design. Do not copy generic voltage or frequency settings from another project. Ask your state electrical inspector what approval your project size needs.

BIS and the quality-control order

BIS lists the Indian standards for solar equipment on its compulsory registration scheme page. It names these Indian standards (IS). IS 14286 with IS/IEC 61730 covers crystalline silicon modules. IS 16077 covers thin-film modules. IS 16221 (Part 2) covers inverters.

MNRE’s Solar Systems, Devices and Components Goods Order, 2025 (S.O. 492(E), 27 January 2025) replaced the 2017 order. One rule changed for large inverters. A gazette notice dated 3 July 2026 covers SPV (solar photovoltaic) inverters above 200 kW. It allows self-certification until 31 December 2026 or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The maker must hold valid IEC certificates and test reports from accredited labs.

That notice covers only inverters above 200 kW. For any other product, match the certificate to your exact maker and model.

ALMM, List-II and DCR

MNRE’s FAQ memorandum of 23 September 2025 (read it here) sets out who must use the lists:

• Only List-I modules may be used in government projects, government-assisted projects, scheme projects, and open-access and net-metering projects. Net-metering and open-access projects are exempt only where an MNRE order says so.
• List-II covers solar cells. The first List-II came out on 31 July 2025. For bid-based projects, the cut-off date was 31 August 2025.
• Net-metering and open-access projects that commission on or after 1 June 2026 must use List-II cells.

The government’s press release of 18 July 2026 changed one date. It gives net-metering and open-access projects a limited window to commission without List-II cells until 31 December 2026. The earlier date was 31 May 2026. The release says there is no blanket extension. List-I still applies.

MNRE keeps revising List-II. Its orders page shows the 12th revision, dated 8 October 2026. Always check the version in force on your commissioning date.

Domestic content is a separate check. The same FAQ says ALMM orders do not relax DCR rules. This covers PM-KUSUM components B and C, PM Surya Ghar and CPSU Phase-II. Those rules come from each scheme’s own guidelines. A listed cell is not proof of domestic origin.

Equipment records to keep

• The project type and the order that applies to it.
• The exact module model, matched to a dated list entry.
• The maker and factory, and the BIS registration.
• Cell and domestic-content proof, if your scheme asks for it.
• Your application, procurement and commissioning dates.
• A written note whenever you swap a model.

Save purchase and delivery records with the dated list entry. If MNRE changes a listing, those records show what was true on your dates. Ask MNRE or your DISCOM before you swap equipment late in a project.

PM Surya Ghar subsidy for homes

The government’s press office (PIB) published the central financial assistance (CFA) pattern on 7 August 2024. CFA is the subsidy MNRE pays toward a rooftop system. Sizes below are in kWp (kilowatts of peak power).

The sums come from the published rates. The first 2 kWp earn ₹30,000/kWp (₹33,000/kWp special). The next 1 kWp earns ₹18,000/kWp (₹19,800/kWp special). At 3 kWp that is 2 × ₹30,000 + ₹18,000 = ₹78,000, or 2 × ₹33,000 + ₹19,800 = ₹85,800. Group housing societies get ₹18,000/kWp (₹19,800/kWp special) for common facilities up to 500 kWp, at 3 kWp per house.

An MNRE memorandum of 13 February 2025 (read it here) also allows ground-mounted elevated systems that meet the guideline specifications. They are no longer limited to roofs, terraces and balconies.

Use the official portal for the current applicant and vendor steps. Track application, installation, inspection, commissioning, claim and payment as separate steps in your own records. Rates can change, so check the current guidelines before you quote.

Net metering and DISCOM approval

Net metering credits the units your system exports against the units you import. Net billing credits exports at a set rate. Gross metering sells all generation to the DISCOM. Your state commission decides which of these you get.

The central Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules set time limits for the DISCOM. The February 2024 amendment changed these points for rooftop solar:

• Systems up to 10 kW need no technical feasibility study.
• For larger systems, the study time fell from 20 to 15 days. If the DISCOM does not finish in time, approval is deemed given.
• The DISCOM pays for network strengthening for systems up to 5 kW.
• The time for the DISCOM to commission a rooftop system fell from 30 to 15 days.

Even with these rules, you still need the DISCOM’s connection and inspection steps. Do not energize a system on a deemed approval alone. Ask the DISCOM for a written decision.

State and DISCOM worksheet

State size limits and export rates differ across India, and no single national table covers them. Read the full current order from your state commission before you quote export savings.

Prepare the same file for every DISCOM: proof of property rights, drawings, equipment certificates, and applicant and vendor papers. Submit them at the stages your DISCOM’s checklist asks for.

Commercial and industrial projects

An on-site rooftop connection is different from open-access supply and from captive or group-captive supply. Each has its own permissions, charges and contracts. Read the open-access guide and get project-specific advice before you promise a supply structure.

Ask your tax adviser to confirm the tax treatment, invoicing and any depreciation rules for your project. Show taxes, subsidies, loans and payment timing as stated assumptions in every quote.

Labour rules for building and running a plant

Four labour codes took effect on 21 November 2025. They are the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. They bring 29 older labour laws into four codes, according to the Ministry of Labour release.

For your site crews and O&M (operation and maintenance) staff, the release lists these changes:

• Employers must give every worker an appointment letter.
• Every worker has a right to minimum wages and timely wage payment.
• Employers must give workers over 40 a free annual health check-up.
• ESIC (the Employees’ State Insurance scheme) cover now reaches all of India. It is mandatory for any establishment with even one worker in hazardous processes.

Check your state labour department for the rules made under the codes. They set the day-to-day duties for contractors.

Handoff checklist

• Your project type, authority and application route are named.
• Equipment, list entries and certificates match.
• Reviewed drawings and as-built drawings share one revision.
• Every swap or authority finding has a written answer.
• Safety, inspection, connection, billing and subsidy statuses are tracked separately.
• Customer schedules say which approvals are still open.

You can test your own project in a SurgePV demo using solar design software and solar proposal software. The software helps you prepare drawings and quotes. Approvals and subsidy payments come from the authorities.

For inverter choices, read about solar inverter companies in India.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PM Surya Ghar subsidy in 2026?

The government’s published pattern (PIB, 7 August 2024) pays ₹30,000/kWp for the first 2 kWp. It pays ₹18,000/kWp for the next 1 kWp in the standard category. That is ₹78,000 at 3 kWp. The special category gets ₹33,000 and ₹19,800, which is ₹85,800 at 3 kWp. There is no extra assistance above 3 kWp. Check the current scheme guidelines for your category.

What is ALMM in solar?

ALMM is MNRE’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers. List-I covers solar modules. List-II covers solar cells. Both lists apply to government and scheme projects. Net-metering and open-access projects must also use List-I modules unless an MNRE order exempts them. List-II has a limited exemption window for these projects until 31 December 2026.

How do I get net-metering approval in India?

Apply to your DISCOM under your state commission’s net-metering rules. Keep your connection, inspection, metering and commissioning records. A 2024 change to the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules means systems up to 10 kW need no technical feasibility study. For larger systems the study must finish in 15 days or approval is deemed given.

What documents are needed for DISCOM solar approval?

Your DISCOM publishes its own checklist, so use that one. Most files include proof that you can use the property and your electricity account details. They also include equipment details, certificates and drawings. Keep the version you submitted and the DISCOM’s reply.

Is net metering available in all Indian states?

Each state commission sets its own net-metering rules, including size limits and export credit. Net metering, net billing and gross metering are different ways of settling exports. Read your state’s current order and ask your DISCOM which one applies to your account.

What is the process to start a solar EPC business in India?

Set up the legal entity and tax registrations. Check your state’s electrical contractor and licence rules. Register on a scheme portal only if you will do scheme work. Keep licences, training records, contracts and insurance current. A business registration alone does not let you do electrical work.