Electricity Duty Exemption Scheme — Maharashtra LSI Relief

Electricity Duty Exemption is a state incentive delivered under the Maharashtra Industries Investment and Services Policy 2025 and administered by the Directorate of Industries, Government of Maharashtra. It is not a cash payout: a qualifying industrial unit simply stops paying the electricity duty it would otherwise owe, which removes one of the largest recurring utility costs in a manufacturing operation. Applications stay open on a rolling basis, so a unit can claim the benefit as soon as it qualifies.

The design is region-first. Special Large Scale Industries (LSI) units — both new and existing — located in Group C, D, D+ and lower-category areas receive the exemption for as long as their overall incentive period under the policy runs. Backward regions therefore get the broadest access to relief.

Group A and B, the state's more industrialised belts, are treated far more narrowly. There the concession is reserved for export-driven and socially inclusive enterprises: Export Oriented Units whose export turnover is at least 50% and certified by DGFT, along with units wholly owned by women, by Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe individuals, or by persons with disabilities. Those owners must additionally draw at least half their workforce from the same group.

By lowering a running cost, the scheme is meant to steer investment into less developed districts, sharpen the competitiveness of Maharashtra's large industry, support export earnings and widen industrial participation for women, SC, ST and PwD entrepreneurs.

• Electricity duty exemption for eligible Special LSI units in Maharashtra
• No cash payout — the benefit is relief from an ongoing utility cost
• Group C, D, D+ and below units get relief equal to their policy incentive period
• EOUs and women-, SC/ST- and PwD-owned units in Group A and B get a fixed 7 years
• Group A and B categories must meet the 50% export turnover or 50% workforce test
• Rolling applications, with no fixed deadline

Eligibility depends on where the unit is located, and on ownership and workforce where a special category is claimed.

• Group C, D, D+ and below areas: new and existing Special LSI units qualify.
• Group A and B areas: Export Oriented Units qualify only where at least 50% of turnover is export turnover, certified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
• Group A and B areas: units fully owned by women, by Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) individuals, or by persons with disabilities (PwD). Such units must also employ at least 50% of their workforce from the respective owning group.

Electricity Duty Exemption Scheme — Maharashtra LSI Relief is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Electricity Duty Exemption Scheme — Maharashtra LSI Relief accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

What the scheme provides is an exemption from electricity duty — the unit is relieved of the duty instead of receiving a cheque. Its worth therefore differs from unit to unit, since it follows the electricity actually consumed, which is why the headline amount is listed as variable.

• Group C, D, D+ and below: relief runs for a term equal to the unit's overall incentive period under the Maharashtra Industries Investment and Services Policy 2025.
• Group A and B, for EOUs and for women-, SC/ST- and PwD-owned units: a fixed 7 years.

For the Group A and B special categories, that 7-year term is conditional on both the ownership test and the 50% workforce requirement being satisfied. By taking out a significant input cost, the exemption is intended to improve the viability and long-term sustainability of these industrial units.

Electricity Duty Exemption Scheme — Maharashtra LSI Relief is offered by Directorate of Industries, Government of Maharashtra, a government body. As a government-backed subsidy, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India.

There are no pitch rounds or jury evaluations. Assessment is an administrative, compliance-based exercise handled by the competent authorities under the Government of Maharashtra.

• Applications from eligible units are examined against the criteria set out in the Maharashtra Industries Investment and Services Policy 2025.
• Authorities verify the unit's status as a Special LSI or an EOU, its geographical location, its ownership structure where a special category is claimed, and its workforce composition where that condition applies.
• Decisions rest on documented evidence, and the outcome is an approval for enterprises that meet every stated condition.
• On successful verification, the exemption is granted for the applicable tenure, usually through an official order or certificate.

Before you apply to Electricity Duty Exemption Scheme — Maharashtra LSI Relief, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.