A new study reveals that, if successful, India’s wind and solar energy plans can give employment to over a million people

The study, called Clean Energy Powers Local Job Growth in India, was undertaken by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). It found that these jobs would come from project planning, construction, installation and operations required to meet the renewable energy targets and could be created in less than a decade.

Government officials find the results encouraging for the renewable energy sector.

“These job projections give us even more drive to make our solar target, the most aggressive one in the world, a reality,” said Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). “Now we know what type of skill creation we need to invest in and can take the necessary steps to make that happen.”

A previous study estimated that the Indian solar market has already employed approximately 24,000 workers during the first phase of Solar Mission in 2011-14. According to the government estimates, the wind sector development has produced an additional figure of 45,000 FTE (Full-time equivalent) jobs so far.

“Prime Minister Modi’s clean energy plan creates enormous potential for India’s booming population. It provides job opportunities and access to electricity that will power rapidly growing cities and villages,” said Anjali Jaiswal, Director of NRDC’s India Initiative. “India is aiming to produce more solar energy than any other country in the world, which is an ambitious goal and shows how serious the government is about creating a clean energy economy. Our research has found unequivocally that renewable energy can drive economic development in all corners of the country.”

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