The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has introduced provisions for including brand owners and channel partners in vendor registration to accelerate rooftop solar installations.

The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana was launched by MNRE to install rooftop solar systems in 10 million households by FY 2026-27. Until now, rooftop solar installations were done solely by vendors registered on the National Portal. For brand owners, entities must submit a request to REC Limited, the National Programme Implementation Agency.

Similarly, vendors can request to be identified as the owner’s channel partner on the national portal. A channel partner can work under multiple brand owners.

The brand owner who install their own rooftop solar system through a network of channel partners will be responsible for critical and non-critical components supplied by both brand owners and channel partners. The brand owners will also provide consumers with a warranty, provide customer service in all states, and ensure training and quality control of channel partners.

REC will provide the brand owners with the login credentials to manage channel partner vendors and monitor installations done under the brand name.

A channel partner is a vendor registered on the national portal by a registering entity acting as a service provider. A channel partner can either install rooftop solar in the capacity of the channel partner of any brand owner or independently by the vendor itself. However, the vendor must declare whether each installation was done independently or through the brand owner and must inform the consumers.

Additionally, the channel partners must adhere to the quality control provisions mandated by the brand owner.

After a brand owner approves a vendor, the vendor will be displayed on the brand owner’s website along with the brand logo. The brand owner can also remove the channel partner from enlistment if it fails to meet the parameters.

Last month, MNRE allowed rooftop solar vendors from adjacent states to work in Union Territories under the PM Surya Ghar program. Vendors registered with one distribution company can work with multiple DISCOMs in the same state.

MNRE had clarified that residential rooftop solar installations with battery storage are also eligible for Central Financial Assistance under the program.