Study Reveals India’s 500 GW Clean Energy Target May Generate 4.4 Million Jobs
India’s ambition to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 could lead to the creation of over 4.4 million full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, with rooftop solar being the primary driver. A recent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) India, supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, reveals that rooftop solar will account for nearly 43% of these jobs. The study indicates that between FY23 and FY26, rooftop solar is expected to contribute 62% of the 650,000 clean energy jobs added during this period.
The research, based on a survey of companies in the solar, wind, bioenergy, and hydropower sectors, developed new FTE employment coefficients to assess workforce intensity across various technologies and project phases. Rooftop solar installations require more labor due to their decentralized nature, involving individual buildings rather than large-scale projects. This results in rooftop solar generating 44 times more FTE job-years per megawatt compared to utility-scale solar. The findings also highlight that decentralized clean energy systems are significantly more labor-intensive than their large-scale counterparts.
The study points to a gender imbalance within the clean energy workforce, with women making up only 11% of the solar and wind deployment and manufacturing sectors. Their participation is highest in rooftop solar at 15%, followed by solar module manufacturing at 13%. Additionally, around 61% of women in the clean energy sector are employed in non-technical roles such as human resources and administration. Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of CEEW, emphasized the importance of aligning India’s energy transition with workforce development, while Dipa Singh Bagai, country director of NRDC India, stressed the need for strategic planning and industry-training partnerships to prepare workers for the evolving energy landscape.
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