2026 India Solar Open Access Price Sheet

Current PPA tariff benchmarks, CSS and wheeling charges, and all-in landed cost ranges for commercial solar buyers — state by state, as of Q1 2026. Use this data to benchmark proposals you receive from developers.

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State-by-state open access charge summary

State DISCOM HT grid tariff CSS (₹/unit) Wheeling (₹/unit) OA PPA tariff All-in landed cost Saving vs grid
Rajasthan JVVNL / AVVNL ₹6.80–₹7.80 ₹0.45–₹0.60 ₹0.30–₹0.50 ₹3.00–₹3.80 ₹3.85–₹4.90 ₹2.50–₹3.60 (33–46%)
Gujarat UGVCL / DGVCL ₹7.50–₹8.50 ₹0.60–₹0.90 ₹0.55–₹0.70 ₹3.20–₹4.00 ₹4.45–₹5.60 ₹2.80–₹3.60 (32–45%)
Karnataka BESCOM / MESCOM ₹7.50–₹9.00 ₹1.20–₹1.80 ₹0.65–₹0.85 ₹3.40–₹4.20 ₹5.25–₹6.85 ₹2.15–₹3.50 (25–40%)
Maharashtra MSEDCL ₹8.50–₹10.00 ₹2.00–₹2.80 ₹0.65–₹0.85 ₹3.60–₹4.50 ₹6.25–₹8.15 ₹1.85–₹3.65 (20–38%)
Tamil Nadu TANGEDCO ₹8.50–₹10.50 ₹2.50–₹3.50 ₹0.65–₹0.85 ₹3.60–₹4.50 ₹6.75–₹8.85 ₹1.65–₹3.50 (17–37%)

Note: Figures are market benchmark ranges for medium-term PPAs (15–20 years) for HT industrial consumers. ISTS inter-state supply to high-CSS states (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka) replaces state CSS with ISTS charges of ₹0.50–₹0.70/unit, significantly improving the economics for buyers in those states. Rooftop and Green OA structures carry different charge profiles.

Group Captive bonus: the CSS exemption advantage

StateCSS on standard OACSS on Group CaptiveAnnual saving on 1 MW load (₹ lakh)
Tamil Nadu₹2.50–₹3.50/unit₹0 (exempt)₹175–₹245 lakh/year
Maharashtra₹2.00–₹2.80/unit₹0 (exempt)₹140–₹196 lakh/year
Karnataka₹1.20–₹1.80/unit₹0 (exempt)₹84–₹126 lakh/year
Gujarat₹0.60–₹0.90/unit₹0 (exempt)₹42–₹63 lakh/year
Rajasthan₹0.45–₹0.60/unit₹0 (exempt)₹32–₹42 lakh/year

Assumes 1 MW average demand × 0.70 load factor × 8,760 hours/year = ~6,130 MU/year. Group Captive is CSS-exempt under the Electricity Act 2003 in all states.

Current PPA tariff benchmarks by project type (Q1 2026)

Project typePPA tariff range (₹/unit)Escalation structureTypical PPA term
Rajasthan ground-mounted, intra-state OA₹3.00–₹3.800% or 1% per yr for first 5 yrs15–25 years
Gujarat ground-mounted, intra-state OA₹3.20–₹4.000% escalation15–25 years
ISTS supply (Rajasthan → south/west states)₹3.80–₹4.500–1% per yr15–20 years
Group Captive (any state, 26%+ equity)₹2.80–₹3.60 (at-cost)Variable (cost-pass-through)25 years
Industrial rooftop RESCO (any state)₹3.50–₹5.000% or DCNR-linked10–15 years

What determines where your proposal sits in these ranges

When a developer quotes you a tariff, the specific position within the benchmark range depends on:

  • PPA term: Longer terms allow developers to offer lower tariffs (lower risk premium, better financing). A 25-year PPA will typically come in 10–15% lower than a 10-year PPA from the same project
  • Project scale: Larger projects achieve lower CAPEX/MW through economies of scale. A 20 MWp project will typically offer ₹0.10–₹0.25/unit lower than a 1 MWp project in the same location
  • Offtaker creditworthiness: A listed Indian company with investment-grade credit will receive a lower tariff than an SME without audited financials — developers price offtaker risk into the PPA
  • Execution timeline: Projects with secured grid connectivity and ready ALMM module supply can offer better tariffs because their risk profile for the developer is lower
  • Escalation structure: Zero-escalation PPAs start higher than those with 1% escalation, but end up costing more in nominal terms by yr 10+. Model both and compare NPV

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Content credibility

  • Written by: Wattency Product Team
  • Reviewed by: Wattency Engineering and Domain Advisory
  • Last updated:
  • Editorial policy: See our Editorial Policy for sourcing and review standards.
  • Review cadence: Quarterly review or sooner when major product or policy changes are released.

Frequently asked questions

Even with CSS of ₹2.00–₹2.80/unit, the saving against MSEDCL's ₹8.50–₹10.00/unit grid tariff is ₹1.85–₹3.65/unit on standard open access. More importantly, consumers who qualify for Group Captive structure pay zero CSS — which makes the Maharashtra Group Captive case (₹2.00–₹2.80/unit additional annual saving vs standard OA) exceptionally attractive. For large load consumers above 5 MW, the ISTS route from Rajasthan also bypasses state CSS almost entirely.

No. Rooftop solar RESCO tariffs (₹3.50–₹5.00/unit in the table) are different from ground-mounted open access tariffs. Rooftop is typically more expensive per unit because of higher CAPEX/Wp for smaller systems, steeper O&M costs, and shorter PPA terms (10–15 years vs 20–25 years for ground-mounted). However, rooftop solar avoids wheeling charges and CSS entirely — the power is consumed at the point of generation — so the effective saving can be comparable or better for consumers with good rooftop availability and high self-consumption ratios.

The tariff and charge benchmarks are updated at the start of each quarter based on DISCOM tariff orders, Wattency deal flow data, and published open access charge notifications from state regulators. The current version reflects data as of Q1 2026. Significant policy changes (new tariff orders, CSS revisions, Open Access rule amendments) may trigger an earlier update — we flag these in our guides and on the marketplace dashboard.