Why SKY
Suryashakti Kisan Yojana (SKY), launched by Gujarat in 2018, is a pioneering farm-level solar scheme that combines on-farm solar generation with a buy-back arrangement from the state DISCOMs. The aim is twofold: (a) replace expensive grid power for tube-well irrigation with solar daytime power, cutting recurring electricity cost; and (b) create a small income stream for farmers by allowing surplus solar power to be sold to the DISCOM at a guaranteed floor price.
SKY operates only in feeder-segregated villages where farm power is on a dedicated rural feeder, so DISCOM accounting and metering can route the solar surplus cleanly. Connected solar capacity is sized to the farmer's sanctioned electricity load — typically 1 kW for smaller pumps to 7 kW for larger installations.
Cost-share structure
- 30 % Central subsidy (under ministry of new and renewable energy, routed via the scheme).
- 30 % State subsidy from Gujarat government.
- 30 % bank loan at 4.5-6 % interest (PSU bank or cooperative; tenure typically 7 years).
- 10 % farmer contribution as upfront cost.
Grid export economics
Surplus solar generation (over and above the farmer's irrigation consumption) is exported to the DISCOM. The buy-back arrangement under SKY:
- ₹3.50/unit floor — guaranteed DISCOM tariff for solar export.
- ₹3.50/unit incentive — additional state-funded incentive for the first 7 years of the installation.
- Effective ₹7/unit for surplus export over the first 7 years.
- Net-metering: bi-directional meter records farmer consumption and export.
A 7 kW system can generate ~10,000-12,000 kWh annually in Gujarat's solar resource. If half of that is consumed for irrigation and half exported, the farmer can realise ~₹35,000-40,000/year in export revenue over and above the irrigation cost saving.
Eligibility
- Gujarat resident farmer with an existing agricultural electricity connection (metered).
- Village on a feeder-segregated rural feeder.
- AnyROR 8-A land record on file.
- Bank-loan eligibility — clean CIBIL on the farmer's name (KCC or other PSU loan track record).
How to apply — step by step
- Visit ikhedut.gujarat.gov.in; submit AnyROR 8-A, electricity consumer number, Aadhaar, bank account and loan-eligibility self- declaration.
- GEDA empanelled installer surveys the farm; system sizing (kW) decided based on sanctioned load and available roof / land area.
- Bank loan sanction (30 % share) processed; farmer pays 10 % upfront; central + state subsidy released to installer.
- Solar PV system installed with bi-directional net- meter; commissioning certificate issued by Gujarat DISCOM.
- Monthly DISCOM billing offsets consumption with export; net credit / net charge depending on usage. ₹7/unit incentive (floor + incentive) applies on export units for the first 7 years.
Latest changes (2024 — 2026)
- 2024-25: Convergence with PM-KUSUM Component-A (large-scale solar plants on farmer land) and Component-B (standalone solar pumps) clarified — SKY is the on-grid net-metered track for feeder-segregated villages.
- March 2025: iKhedut portal integrated with AgriStack Farmer ID; bank loan sanction timeline reduced.
- August 2025: Net-metering regulations updated by Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC); new rate methodology for post-7-year export tariff.
- 2025-26: Battery-energy-storage pilot added for daytime-shift load smoothing in select districts.
Common rejection reasons
- Feeder not segregated: SKY requires a feeder-segregated village; flat-rate rural feeder villages do not qualify.
- No metered electricity connection: scheme requires a metered agricultural connection.
- Bank-loan rejection: poor CIBIL or existing default disqualifies for the 30 % loan component.
- AnyROR mismatch: land record differs from Aadhaar; remediate at the Mamlatdar.
- Installer non-empanelment: only GEDA-empanelled installers qualify for subsidy release.
Grievance: GEDA District Office → GEDA Headquarters (Gandhinagar) → Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission for tariff disputes.
Coverage statistics
Per Gujarat Energy Development Agency data, SKY has been rolled out across pilot feeder-segregated villages with several thousand farmer-installations by mid-2025; cumulative installed solar capacity under the scheme is in the tens of MW. Future expansion tracks the GETCO feeder-segregation programme rollout. Exact district-wise figures appear in Gujarat Vidhan Sabha replies and GEDA annual report.
How SKY stacks with other schemes
SKY is Gujarat's on-grid solar twin to the central PM-KUSUM scheme (which has Components A / B / C — on-farm solar plants, standalone pumps, and solarisation of existing pumps). SKY layers state subsidy on top. PM-KISAN, KCC at MISS rate, MIDH, PMKSY-PDMC drip subsidy and MMKSY crop-loss compensation operate independently. Gujarat Organic Mission supports the soil-and-input side.
Related
- PM-KUSUM — central solar twin.
- MMKSY — Gujarat crop-loss compensation.
- Gujarat state guide.