India third largest job provider in renewable energy sector after China, Brazil

Chennai: After China and Brazil, India is the third largest job provider in the renewable energy sector. India’s renewable energy sector provides 8.24 lakh jobs, finds a study by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Solar photovoltaic segment provides the largest number of both direct and indirect jobs -- 2,04,000 jobs -- in India. On-grid solar sector provides an estimated 1,09,000 jobs, while another 95,000 people were employed in the off-grid sector.

In case of hydropower, the country accounts for 19 per cent of the 1.93 million people employed worldwide. According to IRENA, India employs around 3,67,000 people in the hydropower segment.

India is the fourth largest market in wind energy in terms of capacity. Around 63,000 jobs have been created by the wind energy sector. However, the slowing pace of new installations has resulted in extensive competition and over-supply of equipment. The number of wind turbine makers has come down significantly in recent times and this has also led to job losses.

Solar heating and cooling solutions have offered employment to over 23,000 people. Though India is not a big player in liquid bio-fuels globally, the segment provides 35,000 jobs. Solid biomass and biogas too have contributed to the total employment generated in the renewable space.

According to IRENA, decentralised renewable energy (DRE) solution companies across the different segments directly employ 95, 000 workers in India and that number is expected to double by 2022-23. DRE solutions have the potential to create up to five times more jobs in local communities than direct formal employment.

According to the report, globally jobs in the sector reached 11.5 million last year, led by solar PV with around 3.8 million jobs. Renewable energy employment has been growing worldwide since 2012.