Residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (R-RTS) is central to India’s decentralised energy transition, yet adoption remains uneven across states and household groups. This review synthesises the evidence on how policy design, institutional delivery and household-level conditions shape R-RTS uptake in India, with particular attention to Uttar Pradesh and the Moradabad context. A structured review of peer-reviewed studies and policy documents published from 2010 to June 2026 was designed around three questions: which policy instruments influence household adoption; which barriers mediate their effect; and what institutional arrangements enable implementation. The evidence converges on a policy–practice gap. Capital support and net metering can improve economic feasibility, but their effect is weakened by information asymmetry, financing constraints, transaction costs, vendor trust, roof suitability and delays at the distribution-company interface. The Uttar Pradesh context adds a significant implementation challenge: a large and heterogeneous household market must navigate multiple agencies, digital portals and local electricity-distribution processes. The review proposes an implementation framework centred on predictable consumer journeys, district-level facilitation, inclusive finance, accountable DISCOM service standards, accredited vendors and targeted outreach. It argues that household rooftop solar should be evaluated not only by capacity added but also by access, procedural reliability and distributional equity. The paper provides an evidence-informed foundation for the proposed Moradabad field study and for policy learning in other tier-2 and tier-3 cities..