National Energy Conservation Awards 2025

Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana 

This is a central government scheme, launched in February 2024, designed to provide free or highly subsidised electricity to one crore Indian households through the installation of rooftop solar panels. 

• Objective: To enable households to become self-reliant in energy, reduce electricity bills (offering up to 300 units of free electricity monthly), and promote renewable energy use.
• Key Benefit: The government provides a direct subsidy to cover a significant portion of the installation cost:
  • ₹30,000 for 1 kW systems.
  • ₹60,000 for 2 kW systems.
  • ₹78,000 for systems larger than 3 kW.
• Application: Eligible Indian citizens with a valid electricity connection can apply through the official PM Surya Ghar portal. 

National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM)

Approved in January 2023 with an initial outlay of ₹19,744 crore, the NGHM aims to establish India as a global hub for the production, usage, and export of green hydrogen. 

• Objective: Decarbonisation of major sectors like industry, mobility, and energy; reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels; and developing indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
• Target: To develop a green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) per annum by 2030, which is expected to attract over ₹8 lakh crore in investments and avert nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions.
• Key Components: The Mission includes schemes for incentives (Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition – SIGHT), pilot projects, R&D activities, and developing supply chain infrastructure. 

Renewable Consumption Obligation (RCO)

The RCO is a regulatory mechanism that mandates specific electricity consumers to source a certain percentage of their total power consumption from renewable energy sources. Formerly known as the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO), it was recently revised and notified under the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022. 

• Obligated Entities: Distribution licensees (DISCOMs), open access consumers, and captive power plant users.
• Targets: The mandatory percentage is set to progressively increase from 29.91% in FY 2024-25 to 43.33% by FY 2029-30.
• Compliance: Entities can meet their obligation through direct consumption of renewable energy, purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), or paying a “buyout” penalty price. 

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes 

The PLI scheme is a flagship initiative by the Government of India offering performance-based financial incentives to encourage domestic manufacturing, attract large investments, and boost exports across various strategic sectors. 

• Mechanism: Incentives (usually a percentage of incremental sales/production) are provided to companies for a period of 4-6 years on products manufactured in India.
• Sectors Covered: The scheme has been rolled out across 14 key sectors, including large-scale electronics manufacturing (e.g., mobile phones), IT hardware, solar PV modules, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, textiles, telecom products, and white goods.
• Impact: The schemes have already realised significant investments and increased domestic production in sectors like mobile phone manufacturing. The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) also implements a specific PLI scheme for high-efficiency solar PV modules to build GW-scale capacity domestically.