The Renewable Sector’s Biggest Bottleneck— TALENT | Milmil Das | Associate Vice President (Head HR) | Jakson Green
India envisions becoming a leader in renewable energy. Accordingly, the policymakers aspire to achieve generation of 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity by the year 2030. However, the renewables industry today is, among other challenges, handicapped by the shortage of talent possessing the necessary skills and knowledge.
With an estimated growth rate of 159.5 GW of renewable energy in 2025 consisting of 108 GW of solar and 51.5 GW of wind, the renewable energy industry in India has been experiencing expansion at an unprecedented pace. In order to achieve the stated objectives, the workforce required will have to increase by 1.2 million. Apart from the challenge of hiring personnel, currently the industry faces a dearth of manpower that can develop, construct and maintain the renewable power projects.
Bridging the Quality and Quantity Gap
We need more qualified personnel in almost all functions, ranging from installers, operations and maintenance technicians, commissioning engineers, etc. Going forward, the industry will also need experts for emerging technologies, such as Green Hydrogen.
However, most engineers graduating from India’s technical institutes are not job-ready as they generally do not possess know-how of aspects specific to renewables, such as PV systems, battery energy storage systems and power electronics. Industry-focused training programmes can help in facilitating a smooth transition into the renewable energy sector for India’s fresh engineers. Again, the industry should engage in a sustained manner with engineering colleges, polytechnic institutes and technical training centres, especially in Tier 2 locations and beyond. It will strengthen regional talent ecosystems and ensure workforce readiness for deployment in remote and semi-urban project environments.
The rapid growth in production of components, such as solar modules, cells and renewable energy equipment is without similar increases in trained line manufacturing/operators. To address the demand-supply mismatch, manufacturers must invest in specialised manufacturing training.
Contract workers form the backbone of project execution and play a critical role in achieving timely and quality-focused delivery. From an organisational viewpoint, they are seen as an extension of the workforce. Therefore, renewable energy companies should invest in their technical training, safety orientation, and role-specific training to improve productivity and reduce execution risks. This approach is essential for maintaining a skilled, compliant and stable workforce that meets project delivery timelines. Middle managers act as a crucial link between strategic goals and on-the-ground execution. Ensuring their alignment and empowerment is key to operational effectiveness. Their institutional knowledge, technical experience and strong connection with organisational processes help ensure consistent project delivery and proactive risk management. Targeted training and mentoring programmes will help close the gap in the availability of middle managers. Looking at long-term talent strategies, addressing leadership and execution gaps requires organisations to actively build and maintain a strong pool of experienced and qualified professionals. These individuals should not only be technically skilled but also deeply committed to the company’s vision, values and mission. Investing in the continuity, capability development and involvement of middle management is essential for scalable and sustainable growth.
Strategic Solutions to Build an Efficient Workforce
In order to develop a skilled workforce within the renewable energy sector, we must first create a unified vision regarding the creation and development of human capital resources. For a consistent pipeline of skilled workers, we need to develop and implement training programmes guided by the industry’s needs. Likewise, nurturing relationships with contract staff will enable them to deliver high-quality performance consistently.
Promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace will allow for increased access to a large pool of talent and create an innovative environment. The renewable sector suffers from a limited pool of talent. By promoting gender and regional diversity, the industry can establish a more robust talent pool with increased representation of different perspectives within its workforce. Encouraging women to consider careers in renewable energy and investing in local training facilities will help broaden the talent pool in the renewable energy sector.
Given the relative nascency of the renewable energy industry, the availability of experienced, industry-ready talent remains limited. To address this structural challenge, talent acquisition strategies have to go beyond the renewable sector and dive into a cross-industry talent pool.
Professionals from related fields, including transmission and distribution, electrical engineering, MEP, construction and building, and process industries can be considered for open positions. Even if they lack direct experience in renewable energy, these professionals offer solid foundational knowledge, hands-on experience with large projects, and familiarity with site operations. By bringing in this talent and providing them with structured on-the-job training, technical guidance, and mentorship, we can shorten their learning curve. This approach has proven effective and scalable. It allows for quicker workforce deployment without sacrificing quality or safety.
India’s goal of achieving 500 GW in renewable energy will depend on factors apart from funding. A skilled, resilient and future-ready workforce is essential. Tackling this issue calls for a comprehensive strategy for human resources, which includes integrating early talent, hiring from various industries, offering structured training, implementing inclusive policies and creating strong retention plans. In the end, growth in renewable energy will depend as much on people, culture and skills as it will on technology and infrastructure.