India’s Energy Transition Has a Hidden Employment Problem

India’s renewable transition can create jobs, but replacing coal livelihoods requires retraining, local investment, and long-term employment planning. India’s shift from coal to renewable energy is not simply an energy story it is an employment story. Solar projects can create significant employment during construction, but operational requirements are much smaller. CEEW estimates that 1 MW of ground-mounted solar generates roughly one year of full-time employment. Meanwhile, coal supports a much wider economic ecosystem from miners and contractors to truck drivers, mechanics, shopkeepers and local businesses. The difficult question is: Can new green jobs reach the same workers who lose coal-linked livelihoods? Many coal workers have limited formal education, while a large share of green jobs require skilled or semi-skilled workers. That makes retraining before mine closures critical not after incomes disappear. This transition could therefore create both opportunities and disruption. The real challenge is building industries, training systems and local economies that can absorb workers before coal-dependent regions decline. Waaree Energies Ltd.

Waaree operates across solar manufacturing and is expanding into areas including ingot-wafer manufacturing, battery storage, inverters and green-hydrogen equipment. Its FY26 revenue from operations reached ₹26,536.77 crore, according to company disclosures. The investment question is not simply “Will green energy grow?” It is: “Who captures that growth and how sustainably?”