DISCOM Feasibility Approval for Rooftop Solar: Steps and Timelines
What a DISCOM Is and Why It Approves Rooftop Solar
A DISCOM is the licensed distribution company that supplies electricity in your area. A rooftop solar system connects to its network, so the DISCOM has to accept the application, check that the local network can take the system, and later inspect, meter and switch it on. The clocks it works to come from two layers: the central Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, and the state commission's own rooftop or net metering regulations, which may be stricter.
The Central Timelines Every State Works Within
The Ministry of Power amended the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules in February 2024. The rooftop solar changes are:
- Up to 10 kW: an application that is complete in all respects is accepted automatically, with no technical feasibility study. The rules call this deemed acceptance. Any matching increase in the consumer's sanctioned load is carried out by the DISCOM.
- Above 10 kW: the DISCOM must complete the feasibility study within 15 days and tell the applicant the outcome, down from 20 days. If the study is not completed in time, the application counts as approved.
- Network strengthening: for systems up to 5 kW, or a higher capacity set by the state commission, the DISCOM carries out the distribution upgrade at its own cost.
- Commissioning: after the consumer submits the installation report, the DISCOM must sign the connection agreement, install the meter and commission the system within 15 days, down from 30.
State commissions amended their own regulations to match. Tripura's commission, for one, notified the same wording in May 2024.
The Six Stages From Application to Net Meter
- Application. The consumer or installer applies online to the DISCOM. The DISCOM registers it or flags a deficiency.
- Feasibility study or automatic acceptance. Up to 10 kW this stage is skipped. Above 10 kW the DISCOM studies whether its transformer and feeder can take the system.
- Approval to install. The DISCOM conveys approval, and the work can start.
- Installation. The installer builds the system within the validity of the approval.
- Installation report and inspection. The consumer submits the report. The DISCOM inspects and tests the system.
- Agreement, net meter and synchronisation. The DISCOM signs the agreement, fits the bidirectional meter and connects the system to the grid.
The clock that matters most to a customer is the last one. It is also where state text and the central rule differ most.
Timelines by State
Two clocks matter: how long the DISCOM has for the feasibility study, and how long it has to connect you after the installation report. The study comes first.
Feasibility study
Where | Up to 10 kW | Above 10 kW |
|---|---|---|
Central rules | No study needed; a complete application is accepted automatically | 15 days |
Maharashtra | No study needed; a complete application is accepted automatically | 15 days |
Uttar Pradesh | No study needed; a complete application is accepted automatically | 15 days (30 under the 2019 rules) |
Gujarat | No study needed; a complete application is accepted automatically | 3 days to reach the field office, then 10 days for the field report |
Rajasthan | No study needed; a complete application is accepted automatically | 15 days |
After the installation report
Where | What the DISCOM does | Time allowed |
|---|---|---|
Central rules | Signs the agreement, fits the meter, commissions | 15 days |
Rajasthan | Same as the central rule | 15 days |
Maharashtra | Tests and commissions, then fits the meter and synchronises | 10 working days, then 10 more (the 2026 draft cuts the second to 5) |
Karnataka (proposed) | Inspects and commissions | 5 working days |
In Gujarat the commissioning certificate comes from GEDA or its designated agency. Karnataka's proposal also lets installation start straight after applying for systems up to 150 kW. Uttar Pradesh amended its rules in 2023 to line up with the central rules.
Maharashtra shows why the central rule is a floor, not the whole picture. The central 15 days run from the installation report, while the Maharashtra steps on BEST's current page add up to 20 working days across two stages. MERC's 2026 draft proposes cutting the second stage to 5 working days, which would bring the total to 15.
What Gujarat Adds: Two Steps Before the DISCOM's Study
Gujarat's rules put two steps ahead of the DISCOM's own study. Under GERC's Fourth Amendment, gazetted on September 6, 2024, GEDA, or the agency the state designates, issues the registration certificate within 5 days of a complete application. The Chief Electrical Inspector approves the single line diagram, the earthing diagram and the wiring diagram within 10 days. After the applicant applies to the DISCOM, the DISCOM's head office writes to the field office within 3 days and the field report is due within 10 days, unless the system is up to 10 kW and accepted without a study.
For an installer, a Gujarat job has three authorities to track, not one. A November 2025 amendment reportedly waives the separate written connectivity agreement for PM Surya Ghar homes, so confirm that with your DISCOM before relying on it.
What Rajasthan Did
RERC amended Regulation 12 in its 2024 Second Amendment to match the central rule: study within 15 days, no study for systems up to 10 kW, and agreement, meter and commissioning within 15 days of the installation report. The 2025 Third Amendment added virtual and group net metering. Reports say domestic systems up to 10 kW under those schemes also skip the study, while larger or non-domestic systems get 15 days on an existing connection and 30 days on a new one.
What "Deemed Approval" Means in Practice
Automatic acceptance up to 10 kW means the DISCOM cannot hold the application for a feasibility study. It does not mean the system is connected. Installation, the installation report, inspection, the agreement and the meter all still follow, and the commissioning clock starts only when the installation report is submitted.
Above 10 kW, a missed 15-day study is treated as approval, so a silent DISCOM does not stop a project. Keep a dated record of the application and of any query, because the clocks run from those dates.
Karnataka's proposal goes further on enforcement: INR 1,000 a day on the responsible officer for a missed deadline, plus deemed generation credit for the consumer, meaning payment for the power the system would have generated during the delay. It dates from June 2026, so check the final rules before relying on it.
Other States
Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and the remaining states have their own rooftop rules and may set different clocks and stages. Read your state commission's regulation before promising a customer a date.
Where Design Software Fits
The DISCOM clock starts on a clean application, so the drawings have to be right the first time. Design software like Reslink lets an EPC survey the roof on a phone, lay out the array in 3D and generate the layout, single line diagram and string drawings that go with the application, with the shadow analysis and bill of materials built from the same design. It does not decide what a DISCOM or inspector will accept, so keep each state's format and checklist next to the drawings.
See the full workflow → Book a demo
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Do I need DISCOM feasibility approval for a 5 kW system?
No. Under the central rules an application for a system up to 10 kW that is complete in all respects is accepted automatically, with no technical feasibility study. The DISCOM still has to inspect and connect the system after installation.
Q2. What does the DISCOM check at inspection?
The central rules set the clock, not a checklist. On the PM Surya Ghar route the DISCOM inspects the installation physically, completes the portal checklist, installs the meter and then approves or sends the system back for correction.
Q3. How long does commissioning take after I submit the installation report?
The central limit is 15 days to sign the agreement, install the meter and commission. Maharashtra lists it differently: BEST's page for Mumbai, citing the state regulations, gives 10 working days to test and commission and 10 working days more to install the meter and synchronise.
Q4. What if the DISCOM does not reply within the feasibility period?
Above 10 kW, the application counts as approved once 15 days pass without a completed study. Keep the dated application record to show that the clock ran.
Q5. Is the DISCOM the same as the state electricity regulator?
No. The DISCOM supplies electricity and processes the application. The state electricity regulatory commission writes the rooftop regulations the DISCOM follows.
Q6. Does Gujarat need anything besides DISCOM approval?
Yes. Under GERC's rules the project is registered with GEDA, or the agency the state designates, and the Chief Electrical Inspector approves the single line, earthing and wiring diagrams, each on its own clock. The commissioning certificate also comes from GEDA or its designated agency.
Final takeaway
The central rule removes the feasibility study up to 10 kW and gives the DISCOM 15 days to connect after the installation report. States add their own steps, and some are slower on paper than the central limit. For each job, use the state commission's text and the dates on your own application, not a general timeline.
You May Also Like
- Net Metering Approvals in India: A Step by Step State Guide for EPCs
- MERC Draft Rooftop Rules: Net Metering and Storage Changes
- PM Surya Ghar 2026: ₹78,000 Subsidy, Last Date and EPC Rules
Sources
- Ministry of Power, Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Amendment Rules, 2024 (February 2024), as reproduced in Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission's notification of May 16, 2024, and reported by Mercom India, Indian Infrastructure and IANS
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission, Grid Interactive Rooftop Renewable Energy Generating Systems Regulations, 2019, as published by MSEDCL, and BEST's net metering procedure page
- Energetica India, "MERC Proposes New Rooftop Renewable Energy Rules" (September 2026), for the 2026 draft timelines
- Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission, Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems Regulations, 2019; Saur Energy and Energetica India reports of the 2023 amendment
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission, Net Metering Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2024, Gujarat Government Gazette Extraordinary, September 6, 2024
- Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission, Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy Generating Systems (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2024; Saur Energy and SolarQuarter reports of the 2025 Third Amendment
- Energetica India, "KERC Proposes New Solar Rules, Mandates Storage for DSPV Systems Above 10 kW" (June 2026)
This guide reflects the regulations and proposals as of October 19, 2026. State rules change, so check your state commission's current regulation before quoting a timeline.
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