Paddy is among India’s thirstiest major crops, and in transplanted Indian fields it is grown with standing water for much of the season. That single agronomic fact, ponded water, makes sizing a solar pump for paddy farming under PM KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) materially different from sizing a pump for wheat, cotton, or pulses. Get the cropping system inputs wrong and you either undersize (field dries during tillering and yield suffers) or oversize (₹50,000–₹1 lakh wasted on extra HP and panels you never need).
This guide walks through the 4-input framework we use across paddy belts in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu, covering variety, transplanting method, soil type, and water table, and shows the HP, system cost, and KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) farmer share for 1, 3, 5, and 10-acre holdings. The scheme is administered nationally by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) with implementation via state nodal agencies.
Direct answer. A 5-acre paddy farm with transplanted kharif rice and a 50 to 80 ft water table typically needs a 7.5 HP solar pump costing ₹4 to 4.5 lakh turnkey. Five puddled acres use roughly 2 to 2.75 lakh litres a day on average, about what MNRE’s specification requires a 7.5 HP system to deliver at 30 metres total head on a clear day. Under PM KUSUM Component B, the standard 60% subsidy (30% central + at least 30% state) left the farmer ₹1.6 to 1.8 lakh, less where a state added more. DSR (Direct Seeded Rice) saves 10 to 20% of irrigation water and often lets the farm drop to 5 HP, saving about ₹80,000–₹90,000. Payback against a diesel baseline is roughly 2 years on the full system cost. New subsidy applications depend on PM-KUSUM 2.0, as the scheme period ended on 31 March 2026.
Scheme status, October 2026. PM-KUSUM’s sanctioned period ran to 31 March 2026. MNRE has allowed only projects whose PPA was signed, or whose Notice to Proceed was issued, on or before 31 December 2025 to complete, by 31 March 2027, with no extension beyond that date (MNRE office memoranda of 28 March, 25 May and 28 September 2026 on the PM-KUSUM national portal). New Component B applications depend on PM-KUSUM 2.0, which MNRE described in March 2026 as at the proposal stage. The sizing guidance below still applies to any solar pump; confirm with your state implementing agency whether a subsidy window is actually open before you plan around it.
If you’re a paddy farmer comparing a diesel set running on ₹40,000–₹60,000 of HSD (High Speed Diesel) per acre per season against a one-time KUSUM solar pump, the maths is decisive, but only if the HP is sized to the actual cropping system, not to a rule of thumb.
Why Paddy Sizing Is Different, Continuous Water Need
Most KUSUM sizing calculators were built for wheat, mustard, or vegetable crops where the field is irrigated in 5 to 7 discrete cycles per season. Paddy doesn’t behave that way. Under the puddled transplanted system used across Punjab, Haryana, eastern UP, West Bengal, and most of Odisha, farmers commonly keep a standing water layer for much of the season; Punjab Agricultural University’s package of practices recommends continuous ponding for the first two weeks after transplanting, then irrigating two days after the ponded water has soaked in. Every millimetre the field loses in a day to evaporation, transpiration and percolation is about 4,050 litres per acre, so the 1,200 to 1,500 mm a medium-duration crop needs over 110 to 125 days averages roughly 10 to 14 mm, or 40,000 to 55,000 litres per acre per day, part of it met by monsoon rain. Demand runs above that average during tillering (days 25 to 45) and panicle initiation (days 55 to 70), and the field cannot be allowed to dry out: water stress around panicle initiation and flowering causes spikelet sterility and yield loss.
This means a paddy solar pump must size to the peak daily demand under cloudy-day conditions, not the seasonal average. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), its rice-specific institute ICAR-NRRI Cuttack (National Rice Research Institute) and state agricultural universities publish water-management guidance for major Indian rice ecologies, and we check our sizing against the advice for your region rather than generic kharif averages.
The Paddy Solar Pump Sizing Framework, 4 Cropping Inputs
This is the framework we use on every paddy farm visit before quoting an HP. Four inputs drive the entire system design, get them wrong and the pump either underperforms during tillering or sits idle most of the year.
Input 1, Variety (short, medium, or long duration)
Paddy varieties fall into three duration buckets, and water demand tracks duration directly.
- Short-duration (90 to 105 days), PR-126, MTU-1010, Sahbhagi Dhan. Total water need 800 to 1,100 mm. Lower peak demand because tillering and panicle initiation are compressed.
- Medium-duration (110 to 125 days), PR-121, BPT-5204 (Sona Masuri), Swarna Sub-1. Total water 1,200 to 1,500 mm. The typical Punjab/UP commercial bracket.
- Long-duration (130 to 155 days), Pusa Basmati 1121, Pusa Basmati 1718, traditional Bengal varieties. Total water 1,500 to 2,000 mm. Highest peak demand and longest pumping window.
Long-duration basmati in central Punjab needs noticeably more pumping than short-duration PR-126 on the same acreage, because its pumping window is longer and its seasonal total higher.
Input 2, Transplanted vs DSR (Direct Seeded Rice)
DSR (Direct Seeded Rice), where the field is drilled with seed rather than nursery-raised seedlings transplanted into puddled water, saves 10 to 20% of irrigation water compared with puddled transplanting, according to Punjab Agricultural University’s package of practices. For solar pump sizing this is a real lever: a 5-acre DSR farm often runs on a 5 HP pump where the same farm under puddled transplanting would need 7.5 HP.
Input 3, Soil Type (clay loam, sandy loam, sandy)
Soil percolation rate determines how often you refill the standing water layer.
- Heavy clay / clay loam (eastern UP, West Bengal, coastal Andhra), percolation 2 to 5 mm/day. Lowest pump duty.
- Medium loam (Punjab central districts), percolation 6 to 12 mm/day. Mid-range pump duty.
- Sandy loam / sandy (parts of Punjab Malwa, Telangana red soils, Tamil Nadu Cauvery delta tail-ends), percolation 15 to 25 mm/day. Highest pump duty; same acreage can need 30 to 40% more HP than a clay-loam farm.
Input 4, Static Water Table & Dynamic Head
The depth from ground to the water level, plus the drawdown when the pump is running and the pipe losses, gives total dynamic head (TDH). KUSUM solar pumps are specified by HP, head, and discharge together: under MNRE’s solar pump specification, a 7.5 HP DC system on a 6,750 Wp array must deliver at least about 2.6 lakh litres a day at 30 m total head on a clear day, but only about 1 lakh litres at 70 m. Heads are lowest where water tables are shallow, as across much of eastern UP and West Bengal, and highest in the Punjab districts where the water table has fallen sharply. Our dedicated KUSUM pump size by borewell depth guide covers the head-based selection table in detail.
HP by Acreage for Paddy
Once the 4 inputs are documented, HP selection follows a clean lookup. The table below assumes medium-duration variety, transplanted system, medium loam soil, and 50 to 80 ft water table, adjust up or down per the input rules above. The last column is the minimum daily output MNRE’s specification requires from that array at 30 m total head on a clear day (DC figures; AC systems are specified about 8% lower). Cloudy days and deeper heads deliver less, which is why the pump needs margin above the average.
| Holding (acres) | Average daily use (L) | Recommended HP | Panel kWp | MNRE minimum at 30 m (L/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 acre | 40,000 to 55,000 | 2 HP | 1.8 kWp | 68,400 |
| 2 acres | 80,000 to 1.1 lakh | 3 HP | 3.0 kWp | 1.14 lakh |
| 3 acres | 1.2 to 1.65 lakh | 5 HP | 4.8 kWp | 1.82 lakh |
| 5 acres | 2.0 to 2.75 lakh | 7.5 HP | 7.5 kWp | 2.85 lakh |
| 7 to 8 acres | 2.8 to 4.4 lakh | 10 HP | 9.0 kWp | 3.42 lakh |
| 10 acres | 4.0 to 5.5 lakh | 10 HP (twin) or 15 HP | 14 kWp | 5.32 lakh |
Above 10 acres most farmers either install two pumps on separate borewells or, where the farm has a grid-connected pump, look at PM KUSUM Component C, which solarises grid-connected pumps, covered in our KUSUM Component C grid-tied pump guide. The 7.5 HP bracket is the workhorse of Indian paddy solarisation under Component B.
DSR (Direct Seeded Rice) vs Transplanted, Impact on Pump Sizing
DSR is the single biggest sizing lever a paddy farmer controls. Both methods are eligible under KUSUM Component B (Component B is the standalone off-grid solar pump scheme, see our PM KUSUM complete guide for the full scheme architecture), but the system you buy will look very different. Punjab Agricultural University has recommended DSR since 2010 and puts its irrigation-water saving at 10 to 20% (PAU package of practices).
| Parameter | Puddled Transplanted | DSR (Direct Seeded Rice) |
|---|---|---|
| Total seasonal water | 1,200 to 2,000 mm | About 10 to 20% less irrigation water (PAU) |
| Standing water depth | Ponded; PAU advises continuous ponding for the first 2 weeks | No standing layer |
| Average daily use (5 acres) | 2.0 to 2.75 lakh L/day | 10 to 20% lower |
| Recommended pump (5-acre) | 7.5 HP | 5 HP |
| System cost (turnkey) | ₹4 to 4.5 lakh | ₹3.2 to 3.6 lakh |
| KUSUM farmer share (60% subsidy) | ₹1.6 to 1.8 lakh | ₹1.28 to 1.44 lakh |
| Yield (good management) | 25 to 30 q/acre | 22 to 28 q/acre |
| Labour cost (transplanting) | ₹4,000 to 6,000/acre | Saved entirely |
For farmers in Punjab Malwa belt with falling water tables, DSR plus a smaller solar pump is the combination we recommend most often; expect a learning curve in the first DSR seasons while weed control and field practice settle.
Tip, match your variety to your sizing decision. If you’re switching to DSR, pair it with a short-to-medium duration variety like PR-126. Long-duration basmati under DSR with a small pump increases the risk of moisture stress during grain-filling. Get the variety, method, and HP decided together, not in isolation.
Get a free paddy sizing visit. Our agronomy team measures your borewell head, soil percolation, and cropping plan before quoting an HP, no generic rules of thumb. Talk to our paddy team →
Cost, KUSUM Subsidy, and ROI for Paddy Farmers
PM KUSUM Component B subsidy was a 30% central share (of the benchmark or tender cost, whichever is lower) plus at least 30% from the state, 60% combined, with the farmer paying 40% or less; in north-eastern, hill and island states the central share was 50%. Central aid is capped at the 7.5 HP level. MNRE sets the benchmark costs (MNRE PM-KUSUM page), and the farmer share is the balance, payable upfront or partly through a bank loan so the farmer pays as little as 10% upfront. With the scheme period over since 31 March 2026, new sanctions depend on PM-KUSUM 2.0.
| Pump HP | Total cost (₹) | Central + State subsidy (60%) | Farmer share (₹) | Diesel saved/year (5 ac equiv) | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 HP | 2.20 lakh | 1.32 lakh | 88,000 | ₹80,000 | 1.1 yrs |
| 5 HP | 3.30 lakh | 1.98 lakh | 1.32 lakh | ₹1.4 lakh | 1.0 yr |
| 7.5 HP | 4.20 lakh | 2.52 lakh | 1.68 lakh | ₹2.0 lakh | 0.8 yr |
| 10 HP | 5.50 lakh | Lower: central aid capped at 7.5 HP | Above 2.20 lakh | ₹2.6 lakh | Over 0.85 yr |
Assumptions (Heaven Green estimates): HSD at ₹92/litre average across Punjab–UP–WB, diesel pump consumption 1.2 L/hour at 70% load, kharif paddy season of 1,800 to 2,500 pumping hours depending on cropping system. Subsidy shares follow MNRE’s PM-KUSUM guidelines for general-category states. State notes, for when a new window opens:
- Punjab paddy farmers: PEDA is the Component B agency. Step-by-step in our KUSUM Punjab application 2026 guide.
- Uttar Pradesh paddy farmers: Component B solar pump bookings ran through the state Agriculture Department’s PM-KUSUM portal. See KUSUM UP application 2026 guide.
- West Bengal, Odisha, AP, Telangana, Tamil Nadu: go through each state’s implementing agency (TGREDCO in Telangana); the national PM-KUSUM portal carries MNRE’s notices on the scheme’s status.
The main paddy states and their Component B implementing agencies:
| State | Component B implementing agency |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | State Agriculture Department |
| Punjab | PEDA |
| Telangana | TGREDCO (formerly TSREDCO) |
| West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu | Each state’s designated agency; check via the national PM-KUSUM portal |
Farmers replacing a diesel-set baseline see the fastest payback, under 12 months on Heaven Green’s estimates above, because the diesel saving alone can cover the farmer share inside one kharif season.
Common Sizing Mistakes Paddy Farmers Make
Across the paddy-belt installations we’ve audited in 2024 to 25, sizing errors cluster around six repeat mistakes. Each one is preventable with a 30-minute pre-installation site visit.
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1
Sizing to seasonal average, not peak day. Paddy demand at tillering runs well above the seasonal average. Pumps sized to average run dry during the most yield-critical window.
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2
Ignoring soil percolation. Sandy loam Malwa paddy fields lose several times the water of eastern UP clay loam, same acreage, very different HP.
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3
Using sunny-day discharge for sizing. Tillering occurs in late July/August, when monsoon clouds can cut panel output sharply. Always size to cloudy-day equivalent.
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4
Not accounting for water table drop over season. Water levels can fall while pumping is at its peak, and in many Punjab blocks they fall further every year. A pump matched to the shallowest reading underperforms later.
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5
Oversizing because "bigger is safer". A 10 HP pump on 3 acres wastes farmer share on capacity you do not need (central aid stops at the 7.5 HP level) and over-pumps the borewell, accelerating water-table decline.
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6
Mismatched panel-to-pump ratio. MNRE's specification sets the array for each pump rating, roughly 0.9 to 1.0 [kWp](/glossary/kwp) per HP (4,800 Wp for 5 HP, 6,750 Wp for 7.5 HP), and the KUSUM guidelines do not allow an array larger in kW than the pump's HP. Trimmed arrays fail under cloud cover.
⚠️ Over-irrigation warning
A solar pump runs on zero variable cost, which makes over-irrigation tempting. Water applied beyond the crop's need adds no grain, but it does accelerate groundwater depletion, and keeping fields flooded increases methane emissions. Use a simple field water gauge or AWD (Alternate Wetting and Drying) practice to keep pumping disciplined.
For a comparison with another major kharif crop on the same KUSUM scheme, see our solar pump for cotton farming guide.
Pumping for Hybrid Paddy and SRI System
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and hybrid paddy varieties both shift the irrigation profile in ways that favour solar pumping. SRI uses younger seedlings, wider spacing, and intermittent irrigation rather than continuous flooding, ICAR puts the water saving at about 22 to 35% against conventional transplanted rice, with yield gains of 36 to 49% possible under disciplined management (PIB, citing ICAR’s NICRA project).
- + About 22 to 35% less water (ICAR), smaller pump fits
- + Yield gains possible with disciplined practice
- + Lower KUSUM farmer share, about ₹30,000–₹40,000 less at 60% subsidy
- + Intermittent pumping matches solar daytime profile
- + Better aligned with KUSUM water-saving objectives
- − Practice intensive, needs disciplined irrigation scheduling
- − Higher initial weed pressure without standing water
- − Yield gain is management-dependent, not automatic
- − Local procurement / marketing may favour traditional grain
- − Adoption support thin in some districts
Verdict. A 7.5 HP solar pump on a 5-acre transplanted paddy farm is the most common installation we deliver, proven, low management overhead, and a clean fit with PM KUSUM Component B subsidy. But the highest-ROI installation is a 5 HP pump on a 5-acre DSR or SRI farm: lower farmer share, lower pumping hours, and aligned with the long-term direction Indian rice agronomy is moving. If your soil and DISCOM extension support allow, transition to DSR or SRI in the same season as the solar pump.
How Heaven Green Energy Designs Paddy Solar Pumps
Heaven Green Energy is MNRE-empanelled for PM KUSUM Component B across Punjab, UP, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu. We design every paddy installation against the 4-input framework above, variety, transplant method, soil, water table, rather than off a generic rule book.
- Agronomy-led sizing visit: field measurement of borewell static head, percolation test, and cropping-plan review before HP is quoted.
- MNRE-approved AC and DC solar submersibles: Shakti, CRI, Kirloskar, Lubi, all under KUSUM Component B specifications.
- Cyclone-rated mounting for coastal AP, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu installations.
- 5-year comprehensive warranty on pump and 25-year linear performance warranty on panels.
- KUSUM subsidy paperwork handled end-to-end: state nodal agency application, bank loan tie-up, subsidy disbursement tracking.
- Annual maintenance contracts with a 48-hour rural response window across paddy belts.
Explore the resources that match your farm:
- PM KUSUM complete guide: full scheme architecture, Components A/B/C.
- KUSUM pump size by borewell depth: head-based HP selection.
- KUSUM Component C grid-tied pump: for grid-connected paddy belts.
- Solar calculator: quick HP and farmer-share estimate.
- Talk to our paddy team: free site visit across Punjab, UP, WB, and southern states.
Frequently Asked Questions
What HP solar pump is best for a 5-acre paddy farm under PM KUSUM?
A 7.5 HP solar pump is the standard recommendation for a 5-acre transplanted paddy farm with medium-duration variety, medium loam soil, and a 50 to 80 ft water table. Five puddled acres use roughly 2 to 2.75 lakh litres a day on average, and under MNRE’s specification a 7.5 HP DC system on a 7.5 kWp array must deliver at least about 2.85 lakh litres a day at 30 metres total head on a clear day; cloudy days deliver less, so the margin matters. Under PM KUSUM Component B with the standard 60% central and state subsidy, the farmer share was ₹1.6 to 1.8 lakh. Farms practising DSR (Direct Seeded Rice) can often drop to 5 HP, saving about ₹80,000–₹90,000.
Can a solar pump handle the continuous water demand of transplanted paddy?
Yes, when sized correctly. The misconception is that solar pumps only work for “occasional” irrigation. A properly sized KUSUM Component B solar pump, with the full array MNRE specifies for its rating, runs 6 to 7 effective pumping hours daily during the kharif season and can sustain 3 to 5 cm standing water through tillering and panicle initiation. The critical design rule is to size to peak day under cloudy conditions, not to seasonal average. If you do that, a 7.5 HP pump on 5 acres comfortably meets continuous water demand.
How much subsidy do paddy farmers get under PM KUSUM Component B?
PM-KUSUM’s scheme period ended on 31 March 2026, and new Component B sanctions depend on PM-KUSUM 2.0, still at the proposal stage. Under the rules that applied, Component B gave general-category farmers 30% central assistance (of the benchmark or tender cost, whichever is lower) plus at least 30% from the state, with the farmer paying 40% or less; in north-eastern, hill and island states the central share was 50%, leaving the farmer 20% or less. For a 7.5 HP system priced at ₹4.2 lakh, that translates to ₹2.52 lakh subsidy and ₹1.68 lakh farmer share at the standard rate. Bank finance could cover part of the farmer share, so the farmer paid as little as 10% upfront.
Is DSR (Direct Seeded Rice) better than transplanted paddy for solar pumping?
Yes, from a pump sizing and ROI standpoint. Punjab Agricultural University puts DSR’s irrigation-water saving at 10 to 20% versus puddled transplanting, which can let you size down by one HP bracket, a 5-acre farm going from 7.5 HP to 5 HP, saving about ₹80,000–₹90,000 on the system and reducing the farmer share. DSR also saves ₹4,000–₹6,000 per acre in transplanting labour. Expect a learning curve in the first DSR seasons while weed control and field practice settle. Punjab Agricultural University has recommended DSR since 2010, and ICAR promotes it as a water- and methane-saving practice.
What size pump do paddy farmers in Punjab Malwa need given the deep water table?
Water tables in many central Punjab blocks have fallen sharply, which raises the total dynamic head and reduces pump discharge significantly. A 5-acre Malwa paddy farm typically needs a 10 HP solar pump (instead of 7.5 HP) to deliver the same daily volume at the deeper head. System cost rises to about ₹5.5 lakh, and the farmer share is more than 40% because central aid is capped at the 7.5 HP level. Under the KUSUM guidelines, Component B also did not cover new pumps in dark-zone (over-exploited) blocks; existing diesel pumps there could be converted only with micro-irrigation. Switching to DSR plus a short-duration variety like PR-126 is strongly recommended in Malwa, it preserves groundwater and lets you stay in the 7.5 HP bracket.
How long does PM KUSUM Component B take from application to commissioning for paddy farmers?
New Component B applications are closed while MNRE prepares PM-KUSUM 2.0: the scheme period ended on 31 March 2026, and only projects with a PPA or Notice to Proceed issued by 31 December 2025 can complete, by 31 March 2027. When the scheme was open, the flow was application and documents, the state agency’s sanction and vendor allotment, farmer-share payment, installation, then inspection and subsidy release; how long each step took varied widely by state and batch. If a new window opens, apply well before the June–July kharif transplanting season so the pump is commissioned in time, and confirm the timetable with your state implementing agency.
Will a solar pump save enough diesel to cover the KUSUM farmer share in one paddy season?
For most diesel-baseline farmers, yes. A 5-acre paddy farm running a 7.5 HP diesel set during kharif burns 1,800 to 2,400 litres of HSD at ₹92/litre, an annual diesel cost of ₹1.65–₹2.2 lakh. The KUSUM farmer share for an equivalent 7.5 HP solar pump was ₹1.6–₹1.8 lakh at the standard 60% subsidy. That means a single kharif season’s diesel saving roughly covers the farmer share, after which rabi-season pumping and the rest of the system’s life carry no fuel cost, only maintenance (Heaven Green estimates). Farmers with a grid-connected pump take longer to pay back, since grid power costs less than diesel; Component C, not B, is the route for them.
Does PM KUSUM cover solar pumps for paddy in West Bengal and Odisha?
Component B ran through each state’s implementing agency, within the quantities MNRE sanctioned to that state, so availability in West Bengal and Odisha depended on those sanctions. With the scheme period over since 31 March 2026, new applications in either state depend on PM-KUSUM 2.0; the national PM-KUSUM portal carries MNRE’s notices on the scheme. Heaven Green Energy is empanelled in both states with regional teams handling installation and post-commissioning service.