Sunroof power

Suryodaya Yojana must address the challenges

The Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22, aims to install rooftop solar panels at 10 million homes. The details of the policy are yet to be announced, but the broad intent is clear: To provide the poor and middle-class households with a clean and cheaper source of electricity. On the face of it, rooftop solar power offers a meaningful way to achieve universal electrification targets, since it precludes the need for last-mile connectivity infrastructure of the conventional electricity-generating models. It is also a useful means of moving the needle on India’s international renewable