Can I still get the subsidy with a non-ALMM panel installed before June 2026?

Systems commissioned before 1 June 2026 are governed by the rules in force at that time. For any system commissioned from 1 June 2026 onward, the panel's cells must be sourced from ALMM List-II to claim the PM Surya Ghar subsidy, with no relaxation, except under the Give It Up option described above.

Does the ALMM rule apply to the inverter too?

No. ALMM applies to solar PV modules (panels), specifically the solar cells inside them. Inverters are regulated separately under BIS standards (IS 16221 / IS 16169), not ALMM.

If my installer says a panel is 'ALMM listed', is that enough?

Not fully. From 1 June 2026, the requirement is specifically that the cells are sourced from ALMM List-II (domestic cell manufacturers), not just that the finished module brand appears somewhere on an ALMM list. Ask your installer to confirm and show documentation of List-II cell sourcing for your specific order, not just the module brand's general listing.

What is the Give It Up option and should I choose it?

Give It Up lets a residential consumer forgo the PM Surya Ghar subsidy in exchange for being exempt from the ALMM cell-sourcing requirement, for projects commissioned up to 31 March 2027. For most homeowners it isn't worth it, the subsidy (up to ₹1,08,000 combined) is larger than any savings from using non-compliant equipment, so we don't recommend it unless you have a specific reason to skip the subsidy entirely.

Guides

Why PM Surya Ghar Subsidy Claims Get Rejected

The 2026 ALMM/DCR rule that trips up most applicants, and the paperwork mistakes we see most often.

Short answer: since 1 June 2026, the single most common reason a PM Surya Ghar claim gets rejected is that the panel's solar cells weren't sourced from an ALMM List-II domestic manufacturer. That single requirement now blocks more applications than every other paperwork issue combined. This page covers that rule in detail, plus the other rejection reasons that were already common before it.

The ALMM/DCR rule, in plain terms

MNRE's Office Memorandum No. 283/64/2025-GRID SOLAR states that all net-metering projects commissioned on or after 1 June 2026 must source their solar PV cells from ALMM List-II, and that there is no relaxation in this Domestic Content Requirement for PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. That's a stronger requirement than most people assume it is. It's easy to misread "ALMM listed panel" as sufficient, but the rule is specifically about where the cells inside the module came from, not just which brand's finished panel you bought.

ALMM (Approved List of Models and Manufacturers) has two lists: List-I covers approved module manufacturers, List-II covers approved domestic cell manufacturers. A module can appear on List-I while still using imported cells, which is exactly the gap this rule closes for subsidy-linked installations. As of the most recent revision, roughly 29,758 MW of ALMM List-II domestic cell capacity is listed, which MNRE considers sufficient supply, so this isn't a shortage problem, it's a documentation problem: your installer needs to confirm and be able to show that the specific panels going on your roof use List-II cells, not just quote a general brand name.

The one exception: "Give It Up"

MNRE's follow-up memorandum (8 June 2026) created a narrow exception: residential consumers who choose net metering under the "Give It Up" option, meaning they forgo the PM Surya Ghar subsidy entirely, are not required to use ALMM-listed cells for projects commissioned up to 31 March 2027. In other words, the ALMM/DCR requirement is tied specifically to claiming the subsidy. If you want the subsidy, DCR-compliant cells are mandatory with no exceptions. If you're willing to walk away from up to ₹1,08,000 in combined central and UP state subsidy, you can use non-DCR panels under Give It Up. For nearly everyone, that trade doesn't make sense, non-DCR panels aren't meaningfully cheaper than DCR-compliant ones at the moment, so there's little reason to give up a six-figure subsidy to use them.

Other common rejection reasons (not ALMM-related)

Before June 2026, and still relevant alongside the ALMM rule, these account for most of the rejections and delays we see:

Non-empanelled vendor. Installation must be carried out by a vendor registered on the state-wise empanelled list. A technically fine installation by a non-empanelled electrician can still get the subsidy claim rejected, the empanelment is a paperwork requirement, not a quality judgment.
Name or address mismatch. The applicant's name on the electricity bill, the property documents, and the bank account for DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) need to match. A common trip-up: the electricity connection is in a parent's name but the bank account submitted is the applicant's own.
Sanctioned load mismatch. Your net-metering approval is tied to your connection's sanctioned load. If the proposed system size doesn't fit within (or requires an unrequested increase to) your sanctioned load, the DISCOM can hold up approval until it's corrected.
Incomplete Joint Commissioning Report (JCR). The JCR, signed jointly by the installer and DISCOM representative after installation, is required documentation. A missing or incorrectly filled JCR is a frequent, entirely avoidable delay.
Missing DCR report. Separate from the ALMM cell-sourcing rule above, a formal Domestic Content Requirement report needs to be filed as part of the documentation. This is a paperwork step your installer should handle, not something you need to source yourself, but it's worth confirming it's been filed.

What to ask your installer before you sign

Given the above, four questions are worth asking any installer, us included, before you commit:

Can you show me documentation that this specific panel's cells are sourced from ALMM List-II, not just that the module brand is listed somewhere?
Are you on the current state-wise empanelled vendor list for PM Surya Ghar installations?
Who is responsible for filing the JCR and DCR report, and on what timeline after installation?
Does the sanctioned load on my existing connection support the system size you're proposing, or does it need to be revised first?

If an installer can't answer these clearly, that's a more useful signal than price alone, a cheaper quote that results in a rejected subsidy claim isn't actually cheaper. We handle ALMM List-II verification, empanelment, JCR filing and DCR reporting directly as part of every installation, at no separate charge, see our guide to choosing an installer for a fuller checklist.

Not sure if your quote is DCR-compliant?

Send us your quotation on WhatsApp and we'll tell you plainly whether it meets the current ALMM List-II requirement, no obligation.

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