The most common reason a solar application stalls in Gujarat is simple: it was filed with the wrong licensee. In cities like Ahmedabad and Surat, two companies supply electricity in different parts of town, and your application only moves if it reaches the right one. This guide explains the solar approval process in Gujarat across all five licensees: DGVCL, MGVCL, PGVCL, UGVCL and Torrent Power. It is written for factory and commercial owners, so it covers the HT approval route that most home-solar guides skip.
DGVCL vs MGVCL vs PGVCL vs UGVCL vs Torrent Power is an important comparison for businesses planning solar installations in Gujarat, as choosing the correct electricity distribution company is essential for a smooth approval process.
Raynex Power Solution, a solar EPC company in Gujarat with a head office in Surat and service provide in Ahmedabad, Vapi and Ankleshwar. We file solar approvals across these areas, and this is how the process works.
Who Approves Solar in Gujarat?
Four bodies are involved in most industrial solar projects. Each one has a different job.
- GERC (Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission) writes the rules. Its net metering regulations apply to every licensee in the state, including Torrent Power.
- GEDA (Gujarat Energy Development Agency) registers your project and records its approved AC capacity.
- Your DISCOM checks grid capacity, signs the interconnection agreement, and fits the meters.
- The Chief Electrical Inspector (CEI) usually approves drawings and inspects HT plants before they can start.
Your DISCOM is the one that changes based on where your factory sits. That is where most mix-ups happen.
Find Your DISCOM: The Solar Approval Process in Gujarat by Region
Gujarat has four state-owned DISCOMs, each covering one region. Torrent Power is a private licensee that supplies a few major cities and special zones.
| Licensee | Type | Region | Key cities and industrial hubs |
|---|---|---|---|
| DGVCL | State-owned | South Gujarat | Surat (outside Torrent’s area), Vapi, Valsad, Navsari, Bharuch, Ankleshwar |
| MGVCL | State-owned | Central Gujarat | Vadodara, Anand, Nadiad, Halol, Godhra |
| PGVCL | State-owned | Saurashtra and Kutch | Rajkot, Jamnagar, Morbi, Bhavnagar, Gandhidham |
| UGVCL | State-owned | North Gujarat | Mehsana, Patan, Palanpur, Himmatnagar, areas around Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar outside Torrent’s area |
| Torrent Power | Private | City and zone licences | Ahmedabad city, Gandhinagar, Surat city, Dahej SEZ, Dholera SIR |
The fastest way to confirm your licensee is to check your latest electricity bill. The company name on the bill is the one you apply to.
Split Cities: Surat, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar
These three cities cause the most confusion because each is served by two licensees.
In Ahmedabad, Torrent Power supplies the area inside city limits, and UGVCL supplies the area outside. In Surat, both Torrent Power and DGVCL serve different parts of the city, and Gandhinagar is split between UGVCL and Torrent.
So two factories a few kilometres apart can have different licensees. Never assume based on the city name alone.
Special Areas: Dahej SEZ and Dholera SIR
Torrent Power holds licences in Dahej SEZ, where it has been a second licensee since 2010, and in the Dholera Special Investment Region. Units in these zones should check their bill before applying.
A note for Vapi-area readers: Silvassa and Daman are not part of Gujarat, even though they sit right next to Vapi. Since April 2022, a Torrent-led joint venture has run electricity supply in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Factories there follow that UT’s own rules, not GERC’s.
DGVCL vs MGVCL vs PGVCL vs UGVCL vs Torrent: What Is the Same and What Differs
Here is the good news: all five licensees follow the same GERC net metering rules. The core steps, size limits and set-off rules do not change from one DISCOM to another.
What differs is the day-to-day handling:
- The portal or office where you apply and track your file.
- Local transformer capacity, which decides how fast feasibility is cleared.
- The local engineers and their workload, which affects inspection dates.
- Local practice on documents and formats, which can vary slightly between offices.
The rules are the same everywhere. The speed depends on the local office and how complete your file is.
Step-by-Step HT Solar Approval for Factories
Here is the usual route for an industrial or commercial HT unit. Your EPC company should handle most of it for you.
- Confirm your licensee and sanctioned load. Check your bill and your sanctioned load or contract demand. This sets your maximum plant size.
- Register with GEDA. The project is registered with an approved AC capacity. This number matters later, so get it right at the start.
- DISCOM technical feasibility. Your DISCOM checks if the local transformer and feeder can take the new plant. DISCOMs must update and report their transformer capacity for rooftop solar every year.
- Pay system strengthening charges, if any. Under GERC’s 2024 amendment, HT consumers installing between 6 kW and 1,000 kW may need to pay charges for grid upgrades.
- Get drawing approval. HT plants usually need single-line diagram and layout approval from the Electrical Inspector before work starts.
- Install the plant. Your EPC company builds the system as per the approved drawings and capacity.
- Inspection and testing. The Electrical Inspector and DISCOM check the plant, earthing and protection.
- Meter fitting and start-up. The DISCOM installs the solar meter and the bidirectional or ABT meter, and your plant goes live.
The interconnection agreement with your DISCOM is signed along the way. Keep a copy, since it records the approved capacity.
Documents Checklist for Industrial Solar Approval
Having a complete file is the single biggest time saver. Keep these ready before you apply:
- Latest electricity bill and consumer number
- Sanctioned load or contract demand letter
- Proof of property ownership, or a rent agreement plus the owner’s NOC
- Company documents such as GST certificate and authorisation letter
- Single-line diagram signed by a licensed electrical engineer
- Roof layout and structural stability certificate
- Module and inverter datasheets with IEC test certificates, and ALMM listing for modules
- Earthing and lightning protection drawings
Make sure the name on every document matches the name on your electricity bill. A mismatch is one of the most common reasons files come back.
Rules That Apply in Every DISCOM Area
These GERC rules apply the same way across DGVCL, MGVCL, PGVCL, UGVCL and Torrent Power.
Size limits. Net metering is allowed for rooftop plants from 1 kW up to 1 MW. For captive consumers, there is no capacity limit up to the sanctioned load. Above 1 MW, other routes like captive or open access apply.
Daytime set-off. For HT and EHV consumers with captive solar, energy set-off is allowed only between 7 am and 6 pm on the same day. Size your plant to your daytime use, not your full-day load.
Stay within your approved size. This one costs real money. In a 2026 case, GERC upheld a penalty of over ₹4.3 lakh on a Mahuva cold storage unit in PGVCL’s area. The unit’s approved AC capacity was 50 kW, but an inspection found about 60 kW running.
That case also made one point clear: other clearances do not count as approval of a larger plant. Only the capacity in your interconnection agreement is approved.
6 Common Reasons Solar Approvals Get Delayed
- Wrong licensee. Filing with UGVCL when your factory is in Torrent’s area, or the reverse, means starting again.
- Name mismatch. The applicant’s name differs from the name on the bill, often after a company name change or property sale.
- Transformer capacity is full. The local transformer cannot take more solar, so upgrades or charges are needed first.
- Incomplete single-line diagram. Missing protection details or an unsigned drawing is a quick way to get a file returned.
- Plant size above the limit. The proposed size goes beyond the sanctioned load or the 1 MW net metering cap.
- Rented premises without NOC. Many GIDC units are leased, and the owner’s written consent is needed.
Most of these are avoidable with a careful check before filing.
How Raynex Power Solution Handles Approvals Across Gujarat
Raynex Power Solution works across the areas of all five licensees. Our Surat head office covers DGVCL and Torrent Power Surat, and our branches in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Vapi cover UGVCL, Torrent Power Ahmedabad, MGVCL and DGVCL’s southern belt.
On every project, we confirm your licensee from the bill, check your sanctioned load, and size the plant to stay within the rules. We then prepare the drawings, file with GEDA and your DISCOM, and follow up until the meter is fitted.
You get one team handling the full file, and a plant that is approved for exactly the size installed. Learn more about our industrial solar and commercial solar work.
Conclusion: Start With the Right Licensee
The solar approval process in Gujarat follows one set of GERC rules, but five different licensees handle it. Getting the licensee, sanctioned load and approved capacity right at the start saves weeks of delay.
Check your bill, prepare a complete file, and keep your plant within the approved size. Those three steps avoid most approval problems.
Planning solar for your factory anywhere in Gujarat? Raynex Power Solution handles approvals with DGVCL, MGVCL, PGVCL, UGVCL and Torrent Power from start to finish. Call +91 90332 32512 for a free site visit, or get a quick estimate from our solar estimate tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my factory is under DGVCL, MGVCL, PGVCL, UGVCL or Torrent?
Check your latest electricity bill. The company name printed on it is your licensee, and that is where your solar application must go.
Is the solar approval process different for Torrent Power?
The rules are the same, since GERC regulations apply to Torrent Power too. The portal, office and local handling are different, so file through Torrent’s own system.
How much solar can an HT factory install under net metering in Gujarat?
Rooftop net metering covers plants from 1 kW up to 1 MW. Captive consumers can install up to their sanctioned load within that limit, subject to the DISCOM’s technical check.
Do I need Electrical Inspector approval for factory rooftop solar?
HT plants usually need drawing approval and inspection by the Chief Electrical Inspector before start-up. Your EPC company should confirm this for your plant size and voltage.
What happens if my installed plant is bigger than the approved size?
Your DISCOM can treat the extra as unauthorised use and charge a penalty. Always keep the installed AC capacity within your GEDA approval and interconnection agreement.
How long does solar approval take in Gujarat?
It depends on your licensee, plant size, transformer capacity and how complete your file is.