Solar Jobs in India

According to this International Labour Organization Report, between 2009-2010, India was home to 40,000 Solar PV on-grid jobs, 72,000 Solar PV off-grid jobs, and 41,000 Solar Thermal jobs (see page 80). That is a total of 153,000 direct and indirect solar jobs during this timeframe. The ILO goes on to project direct and indirect solar jobs in India for 2017 and 2022. The projection for 2017 is 302,000 solar jobs and for 2022 it is 799,000 solar jobs, so the solar industry is evidently poised to grow.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, this projected growth is mostly due to India’s National Solar Mission, which aims to have 20,000 megawatts of grid-connected solar power and 2,000 megawatts of off-grid installations by 2022. Half of all projects will employ photovoltaic technologies and half will use concentrated solar power.

Thanks to this explosive growth, India's employment in the solar industry is growing as well, particularly in skilled-professional positions. According to The Skills for Green Jobs in India Report, “This massive diffusion of Solar Energy will require a several fold increase in technically qualified manpower of international standard. It has been estimated that the Solar Industry will employ at least 100,000 specially-trained personnel across the skill spectrum; which will include management, engineering, and research and development personnel.” The report recognizes serious skills gaps as the major bottleneck in renewable energy development in India. Therefore, if you would like a job in the solar industry, it would be advantageous to study project management, solar engineering, or solar research and development.