NEW DELHI : India’s push towards renewable energy could generate over 4.4 million jobs by 2030 according to a study released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and NRDC India. As per the study, rooftop solar is forecasted to be the single largest employment engine and will account for nearly 43 percent of the estimated jobs.
The study titled, ‘Driving Energy Transition: Workforce, Skills, and Gender in India’s Renewable Energy Sector’ suggests that rooftop solar may account for about 43 percent of the jobs linked to India’s target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity and the goals under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.According to this latest study, select clean energy sectors have added over 6.5 lakh workers between FY23 and FY26, with rooftop solar contributing 62 percent of the total workforce addition. As per the report, PM-KUSUM contributed to 16.3 percent addition, followed by biomass power at 12.6 percent and ground-mounted solar at 6 percent addition.
Dr Nipun Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship told Timesnownews.com, “India’s renewable energy ambitions will create significant employment opportunities, but the challenge is not the availability of talent, it is workforce readiness. As renewable energy capacity expands across the country, demand for industry-ready talent is expected to rise sharply across installation, operations, maintenance, EV infrastructure, and other emerging green economy roles.
The opportunity is significant, but success will depend on the availability of a workforce that is trained, deployable, and productive from day one. India has already laid an important foundation through the Skill Council for Green Jobs, which has helped define occupational standards, qualification frameworks, and skilling pathways for emerging green roles. While this has strengthened the ecosystem, the next phase must focus on ensuring that training translates into workplace capability.”
Experts also believe that aligning skills is the need of the hour now, Dr Nipun Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship told Timesnownews.com, “the biggest gaps today are in field-based technical roles, where employers need talent that can work with live equipment, follow safety protocols, and operate in highly execution-driven environments.
These skills are best developed through hands-on experience rather than classroom instruction alone. Educational institutions and training centres therefore need to complement formal training with apprenticeships, internships, and industry-linked learning pathways that provide real workplace exposure. Aligning skilling more closely with industry demand will be critical to ensuring that India’s green growth targets translate into sustainable employment outcomes while supporting the country’s long-term energy transition.”
