Diesel pumping is one of the largest recurring costs on a rainfed or unreliably-electrified farm. PM-KUSUM — Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan — was created to replace that cost with solar.
The scheme has three separate parts, and farmers frequently apply under the wrong one. Understanding which component fits your situation is the first step.
The Three Components
Component A — Solar power plants on farmland
For farmers, groups or cooperatives who want to install a small solar power plant on barren or fallow land and sell electricity to the distribution company. This is an income stream from unused land, not a pumping solution.
Component B — Standalone solar pumps
The one most individual farmers want. It replaces a diesel pump with a solar pump in areas without reliable grid connection. This is where the bulk of individual applications go.
Component C — Solarisation of existing grid pumps
For farmers who already have an electric pump connection. Solar panels are added so the pump runs on solar during the day, and surplus power can be fed back to the grid.
What the Farmer Pays
Under the standalone pump component, the cost is shared between central subsidy, state subsidy, and the farmer. The farmer’s share is typically the smallest portion, and bank finance is available for it.
The exact split varies significantly between states. Some states add a top-up subsidy that reduces the farmer’s share further, and some prioritise particular districts or categories. The proportion quoted by a salesperson is frequently not the one applicable to your state.
Get the current figure from your state’s renewable energy development agency, not from a vendor.
Eligibility
Broadly, individual farmers, groups of farmers, farmer producer organisations, cooperatives and water user associations can apply. For standalone pumps, priority normally goes to areas without grid connectivity, and states often set their own additional criteria — landholding limits, category-based reservation, or district targeting.
How to Apply
- Identify your state nodal agency — usually the state renewable energy development agency or the agriculture department. This is where the actual scheme runs.
- Apply through the state’s designated portal or at the district office when applications open. Many states run application windows rather than accepting applications continuously.
- Submit documents — identity proof, land records, bank account details, and proof of existing pump or water source.
- Wait for sanction. Do not install anything before sanction.
- Choose an empanelled vendor. Installations by non-empanelled suppliers usually do not qualify for subsidy.
Choosing Pump Capacity
Pump capacity should be matched to your water source and your irrigated area, not chosen by assuming bigger is better. An oversized pump on a low-yielding borewell runs dry, damages itself, and wastes the subsidy on capacity you cannot use.
The relevant factors are the depth to water, the yield of the source, the area to be irrigated, and the crop’s peak water requirement. Ask the vendor to show the calculation, not just the recommendation.
Surface Pump or Submersible
Surface pumps suit shallow water sources such as open wells, ponds and canals. Submersible pumps are required for deeper borewells. The vendor should specify based on your actual depth to water, measured, not estimated.
What to Check Before Signing
- Warranty period on panels, pump and controller — these are usually different from each other
- Who services it and how far away they are. A solar pump with a service centre 200 km away is a problem waiting to happen
- Panel mounting — a fixed structure that can be secured against theft and wind
- Written itemised quotation, not a lump sum
The Real Trade-Off
Solar pumping removes fuel cost entirely, which on a diesel-dependent farm is a large annual saving. The limitation is that it works when the sun is out. It does not pump at night, and output falls on heavily overcast days.
For most cropping patterns this is workable, because irrigation is a daytime activity anyway. For farmers who irrigate at night to avoid evaporation, or who depend on a fixed night-time electricity supply schedule, it changes the routine and that needs thinking through before committing.
Subsidy shares, eligibility and application windows differ by state and change with programme cycles. Confirm current terms with your state renewable energy development agency or district agriculture office before purchasing anything.