Green jobs for future: India’s economic expansion has long carried the paradox of jobless growth. The economy has averaged 6.5% annual growth in the last decade, yet employment generation lags behind. Each year, 8–10 million people enter the labour force (ILO, India Employment Report, 2024), but far fewer find secure jobs. The urgency of creating livelihoods that are large-scale, inclusive, and durable cannot be overstated.
Sustainability—often cast solely as an environmental priority—offers an equally compelling economic case: it could become the most powerful source of job creation in the coming decade. At a time when automation is eroding traditional work, the green economy offers employment that is resilient, meaningful, and globally competitive.
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The scale of opportunity
The green transition is no longer an aspiration but an economic shift already underway. The International Labour Organisation projects that India could gain 8 million additional green jobs by 2030. Renewable energy alone, under the government’s 500 GW non-fossil target for 2030, could directly and indirectly employ over a million people (IRENA, 2024).
More crucially, green sectors are far more labour-intensive: every $1 million invested in renewables creates nearly three times as many green jobs. Energy efficiency and recycling yield higher employment multipliers than conventional construction or landfilling. In simple terms, green investment is not only climate-wise but economically superior.
The green jobs opportunities
Renewable energy: By mid-2025, India’s renewable capacity had touched 190 GW, with the Central Electricity Authority targeting 500 GW by 2030. Every megawatt of solar supports about 24 jobs across manufacturing, installation, and operations (India Solar Jobs Census, 2019). By the end of this decade, renewables could directly employ 1 million workers and indirectly sustain 2–3 million more (IRENA, 2023). Job clusters are emerging in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu, ranging from panel assembly to grid integration and operations. Compared to thermal power, renewables generate four times more jobs per unit of capacity, underscoring their role as a labour engine.
Electric mobility: Electric vehicle adoption is gathering pace. India sold 1.6 million EVs in FY24, a 36% rise year-on-year (SMEV, 2024). NITI Aayog and the Rocky Mountain Institute estimate that the EV ecosystem could generate 10 million jobs by 2035. Battery demand, expected to reach 260 GWh by 2030, will require at least 20 gigafactories and thousands of skilled workers. Building 2.9 million charging stations will further expand opportunities for electricians, IT technicians, and service providers (Ministry of Heavy Industries, 2024). Auto hubs such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Haryana are shifting assembly lines from internal combustion engines to EVs, creating demand for skills in robotics, battery management, and electronics integration.
Circular economy: India produces 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, but only 30% is processed scientifically (MoHUA, 2024). Recycling and reuse could generate 15 million jobs by 2030 (FICCI, 2022), with the recycling market projected to touch $20 billion by 2028 (CRISIL, 2023). Integrating the 1.5 million informal waste pickers into formal supply chains can lift productivity and incomes. Compared with landfilling, recycling creates up to ten times more jobs—across logistics, materials testing, and product innovation.
Green construction: Buildings consume a third of India’s energy (BEE, 2024). Retrofitting and green-certified construction could create 3.5 million jobs by 2030 (CII). Energy-efficient projects are more labour-intensive than conventional construction, generating almost double the employment per unit of investment. Opportunities span masons, electricians, sustainability architects, and energy auditors. With India projected to add 416 million urban residents by 2050 (UN, 2022), green construction could become a long-term driver of employment.
Regenerative agriculture: Agriculture remains India’s largest employer but is increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Regenerative farming—combining soil restoration, water management, and climate-smart practices—could add 6–7 million rural jobs by 2030 (WRI, 2022). These include drone operators, soil technicians, and extension workers. Linked processing and logistics chains could create millions more. Such farming not only generates employment but also enhances yields, boosts exports, and builds resilience in rural economies.
Social and regional shifts
Green hiring is no longer confined to metros. An estimated 40% of new green jobs are emerging in Tier II and III cities such as Indore, Kochi, and Jaipur (TeamLease, 2023). This reflects the decentralised nature of renewables, EV clusters, and recycling hubs. Yet inclusivity remains weak. Women make up just 11–12% of green jobs (ILO, 2018). With focused skilling and mentorship, female participation could rise by 12–15% over five years (World Bank, 2022). The green economy, therefore, is not merely a growth lever but a chance for broader social participation.
Global experience shows that jobs emerge from deliberate policy, not technology alone. Germany’s Energiewende has created over 300,000 renewable jobs since 2000. South Korea’s Green New Deal, with $61 billion in investment by 2025, targets 659,000 jobs with a focus on youth and vulnerable groups (OECD, 2021). The lesson for India: employment from the green transition will not be automatic. It will require industrial strategy, fiscal support, and labour market planning.
A green jobs blueprint for India
Unlocking this potential calls for a coordinated strategy. A “National Green Skills Mission 2.0” should weave climate literacy and vocational training into ITIs, polytechnics, and schools, with a focus on renewables, EVs, and efficiency. Green MSMEs need credit lines and tax incentives, particularly in clean manufacturing and logistics. Climate finance should tie investment to measurable job creation. Industrial clusters could co-locate manufacturing, R&D, and skilling hubs. India can also position itself as a global supplier of green talent—exporting technicians, engineers, and ESG specialists to markets in the Middle East and Africa.
For India, sustainability is not only about emissions targets; it is about jobs and inclusion. Green industries carry higher employment multipliers than conventional sectors, absorbing rural labour while creating high-skill urban opportunities. The test of the transition will not be gigawatts installed or carbon avoided, but livelihoods created. With the right mix of investment, skills, and strategy, the green transition could turn India’s jobs paradox into its greatest economic strength.
Dr Megha Jain is Assistant Professor, Shyam Lal College, University of Delhi, and Kuntala Karkun is Senior Fellow, Pahle India Foundation.