One of the most overlooked consequences of India’s rooftop solar push is the inequality it creates. The MNRE renewable statistics show that India has 17.02 GW of rooftop solar installed as of March 2025, a significant share, but one that benefits only a specific segment of the population.
Government schemes like PM-Surya Ghar aim to expand access to rooftop installations. But rooftop solar inherently favours households that own property, have stable rooftops, and possess the financial literacy to navigate subsidy applications. Renters, a large share of India’s urban residents, are excluded by design.
As rooftop solar expands, households with installations will enjoy near-zero electricity bills, energy independence, and insulation from future tariff hikes. Meanwhile, renters and low-income families will continue paying full grid tariffs, which will rise as DISCOMs lose high-paying customers.
This is how a solar class divide forms:
Homeowners gain wealth and savings.
Renters subsidise the grid.
Low-income communities get left behind.
The MNRE data also shows the overwhelming dominance of ground-mounted utility solar, at 83.89 GW, compared to 17.02 GW rooftop. Utility solar benefits the grid, rooftop solar benefits individuals. As individual benefits grow, systemic inequality widens.
The policy challenge is not installing more rooftop solar, it is ensuring equitable access. Virtual net metering, rental rooftop agreements, and community solar could democratise access, but India is not implementing them at scale.
India is rightly proud of its renewable growth. But as rooftop solar accelerates, the country must decide whether clean energy will create shared prosperity or a new form of structural divide. |
