India’s ambitious clean energy expansion plans could generate more than 4.4 million full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs by 2030, with rooftop solar emerging as the largest source of employment, according to a new study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and NRDC India, ANI reported.
The report, titled Driving Energy Transition: Workforce, Skills, and Gender in India’s Renewable Energy Sector, estimates that the country’s target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity, along with goals under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, will create substantial employment opportunities across the renewable energy value chain.
The study found that rooftop solar alone could account for nearly 43 per cent of the jobs generated under India’s clean energy transition, making it the biggest contributor to employment growth in the sector.
Researchers noted that selected clean energy segments have already added more than 650,000 workers between the financial years 2022-23 and 2025-26. The study was conducted with technical guidance from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Speaking on the findings, MNRE Secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi said public participation remains central to a successful energy transition. He noted that India’s economic development goals and sustainability objectives are increasingly aligned, highlighting the country’s strong progress in expanding renewable energy capacity.
According to the report, rooftop solar accounted for 62 per cent of the 650,000 clean energy jobs added during the period under review. The PM-KUSUM scheme contributed 16.3 per cent, followed by biomass power at 12.6 per cent and ground-mounted solar projects at 6 per cent.
CEEW Chief Executive Officer Arunabha Ghosh said India’s shift toward clean energy must also be viewed as a workforce transformation. He emphasized that the transition offers opportunities not only to expand renewable energy generation but also to create livelihoods, develop skills, strengthen domestic supply chains and support entrepreneurs, workers and farming communities.
The report highlighted the strong employment potential of distributed renewable energy systems. Rooftop solar projects generate an estimated 45 full-time equivalent job-years per megawatt of installed capacity, significantly higher than ground-mounted solar projects, which create about one FTE job-year per megawatt, and wind projects, which generate approximately 0.6 FTE job-year per megawatt.
NRDC India Country Director Dipa Singh Bagai said distributed renewable energy, particularly rooftop solar, has the potential to create jobs across urban centres, small towns and rural regions while supporting India’s energy security and climate goals.
Despite the positive employment outlook, the study pointed to a significant gender imbalance within the sector. Women currently represent only 11 per cent of the workforce involved in solar and wind deployment and manufacturing activities. Most women employed in the industry are concentrated in non-technical roles such as human resources, administration and accounting.
The report also estimated that nearly 1.3 million full-time equivalent jobs could be created in operations, maintenance and manufacturing activities as India accelerates its renewable energy deployment.
The findings underscore the growing role of clean energy not only as a driver of environmental sustainability but also as a major source of employment and economic opportunity in the coming decade.
