New Delhi: India’s target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 could generate more than 44 lakh full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, with rooftop solar emerging as the single largest employment generator, accounting for nearly 43% of the total, according to a new study.The findings are significant as rooftop solar gains momentum across the country. The study, conducted by climate think-tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and non-profit environmental organisation Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) India, with technical guidance from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, found that of the 6.5 lakh clean energy jobs added between FY23 and FY26, rooftop solar accounted for the largest share at 62%. It was followed by the PM-KUSUM scheme (16.3%), biomass power (12.6%), and ground-mounted solar projects (6%).The study is based on a primary survey of companies carried out in 2024-25 across the solar, wind, bioenergy, and hydropower sectors. The researchers developed new FTE employment coefficients to estimate workforce intensity across technologies and project phases, including manufacturing, deployment, and operations.According to the study, rooftop solar creates more jobs because installations are carried out at individual buildings, unlike large solar or wind projects that are developed at a single site. Additional workers are required for customer outreach, site surveys, design, installation, grid connectivity, and maintenance. The study estimates that rooftop solar generates 44 times more FTE job-years per MW than utility-scale solar. Overall, decentralised clean energy systems were found to be significantly more labour-intensive than large-scale projects.The study also highlighted the sector’s gender imbalance. Women account for only 11% of the workforce in solar and wind deployment and manufacturing. Their participation is highest in rooftop solar (15%), followed by solar module manufacturing (13%), floating solar (12%), and ground-mounted solar (11%). Around 61% of women employed in the clean energy sector work in non-technical roles such as human resources, accounting, and administration.Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of CEEW, said India’s energy transition must also be a workforce transition. “The opportunity is about creating livelihoods, building skills, deepening domestic supply chains, and ensuring that the benefits of clean energy reach households, farmers, workers, and entrepreneurs while also adding gigawatts,” he said.Dipa Singh Bagai, country director of NRDC India, said clean energy jobs were critical to India’s economic growth, energy security, and climate goals. “This study shows that distributed renewable energy, especially rooftop solar, can create employment across cities, small towns, and rural areas. But job creation will require deliberate planning, credible workforce reporting, and stronger industry-training partnerships so that workers are ready for the next phase of India’s energy transition,” Bagai said.
