PM Surya Ghar 5-Year CMC vs Paid AMC
Under MNRE's Operational Guidelines dated 7 June 2024, a registered PM Surya Ghar vendor must repair and maintain the rooftop plant free of cost for five years from the date of commissioning. That free period is the Comprehensive Maintenance Contract, or CMC. It is not the same as a paid Annual Maintenance Contract that you sell from year six. Confusing the two clocks leaves vendors paying for free visits they already owed, or missing the renewal window that turns a CMC plant into recurring AMC revenue.
What does MNRE require in the five-year CMC?
Section 7(d) of the guidelines is clear. Registered vendors must provide repairs and maintenance of the rooftop solar plant free of cost for five years of the CMC period from commissioning. Non-performing or under-performing components must be repaired or replaced free of cost in that window. The consumer also receives the OEM warranties on system components, and the vendor must help with any OEM claim. State DISCOM copies of the 7 June 2024 Operational Guidelines publish that section in full.
The model agreement between consumer and vendor on the National Portal repeats the same duty: five years of comprehensive operation and maintenance, system warranty from DISCOM commissioning, and OEM warranty papers handed over with serials. If your team only shows up when the inverter fails, you are already short of what the scheme expects.
How is CMC different from a paid AMC?
CMC is a free obligation that starts on commissioning and ends five years later. Paid AMC is a commercial contract you offer for years six to twenty-five, usually with scheduled visits, response times and spare parts rules that you set with the customer. CMC protects the consumer and your vendor registration. Paid AMC protects your service margin after the free period ends.
| Clock | CMC (scheme) | Paid AMC |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to consumer | Free for 5 years from commissioning | Paid, from year 6 onward |
| Legal source | MNRE guidelines section 7(d) and model agreement | Your commercial contract |
| Work owed | Repairs, replacements, health checks, consumer education | Whatever your AMC schedule and SLA say |
| Risk if missed | Complaints, DISCOM or MNRE penalties, de-registration risk | Lost renewal revenue and weak retention |
Why does the year-5 handoff matter now?
PM Surya Ghar has already crossed 17.5 GW across about 59.47 lakh households by the end of September 2026, according to Business Standard citing JMK Research. Every one of those plants carries a five-year CMC clock. If you wait until the free period ends to talk about AMC, the consumer has already taken a cheaper local electrician's number.
Treat year five as a sales and service project. Ninety days before CMC ends, send a renewal letter. Sixty days out, complete a health visit and capture generation proof. Thirty days out, close the AMC quote. CMC end-dates must sit in a system, not in a spreadsheet tab nobody opens.
What should an EPC record for every CMC plant?
At commissioning, log the DISCOM commissioning date, module and inverter serial numbers, OEM warranty PDFs, the consumer's contact details and the next planned health-check date. Every free visit during CMC should create a service ticket with GPS check-in, site photos and a short checklist. Without that record, you cannot prove you met section 7(d), and you cannot prove to the consumer why a paid AMC from year six is worth buying.
Where does PiDuty fit without replacing the National Portal?
The National Portal still owns subsidy and FQI workflows. What a service platform changes is the clock and the proof. In PiDuty, each plant stores its commissioning date, CMC end date, serials and warranty files. Tickets carry due dates for free CMC visits. Technicians check in with GPS, upload photos and collect a signature. Managers see which sites are 90, 60 or 30 days from CMC end so the AMC conversation starts on time.
In short: PiDuty is solar service software for Indian EPCs, rooftop installers and O&M teams, covering service tickets, AMC, warranty by serial number, QR asset tracking and a technician app.
Plans start at Rs57,820 a year for Solar Hub, with Solar Hub Pro at Rs78,000 a year, and there is a 7-day free trial. See pricing for details.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CMC and AMC under PM Surya Ghar?
CMC is the five-year free comprehensive maintenance that MNRE requires from commissioning. Paid AMC is a commercial contract after that free period ends.
Is the five-year CMC optional for registered vendors?
No. Section 7(d) of the 7 June 2024 Operational Guidelines requires free repairs and maintenance for five years of the CMC period from commissioning.
When should an EPC start selling paid AMC?
Keep the DISCOM commissioning date, serial numbers, OEM warranty papers and a visit history. Start the paid AMC conversation 90 days before CMC ends.