India's Rapid Poverty Decline and Green Jobs

Key Highlights: India's Economic and Employment Development

Poverty Decline:

• The World Bank reports a significant reduction in poverty in India, with 496 million individuals escaping poverty from 2011 to 2023.
• Extreme poverty decreased from 27.1% to 2.6% during the same period.
• The improvement is attributed to strong consumption growth, social transfers, and increased employment, particularly among women.

Employment and Green Jobs:

• India aims for a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) by 2047 and a net-zero economy by 2070.
• New industries in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and climate resilience are projected to create over 1.3 crore jobs by 2035, with a focus on local employment opportunities.
• Sectors like rooftop solar, EV repair, waste recovery, and agroforestry will significantly impact rural employment.

Youth Demographics:

• Over 27% of the Indian population is aged 15-29, with an increasing number pursuing higher education (17.3% graduates in 2025; women leading at 17.9%).
• The worker population ratio is nearly aligned with the labour force participation rate, indicating a robust labor market.

Skills Transferability:

• A high transferability rate of skills exists between traditional sectors and emerging green jobs: 71% for thermal power roles to renewables, and 90% for automobile roles to electric vehicles with targeted training.

Technical Education and Training Needs:

• Only 5.3% of youth receive technical education; 5% have formal vocational training.
• Current training initiatives have only prepared 81,000 individuals for green roles, while demand for green jobs is expected to grow by approximately 4.5 lakh annually.

Government Initiatives:

• The PM-SETU scheme (Rs 60,000 crore) is modernizing 1,000 ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes), which currently hold over 26 lakh seats.
• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is revising the National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to align with the green economy.

Challenges Ahead:

• There is a pressing need for longer-term education and training to incorporate technical skills that match advanced green job roles.
• Current training programs are largely short-term; about 43% of formally trained workers have completed courses shorter than six months.
• A cohesive education and skilling continuum from school to vocational training and the workplace is essential for full employment potential in the green sector.

Conclusion: India's journey from alleviating poverty to establishing a workforce with secure, rising incomes hinges on the development of green jobs and the effective translation of education into actionable skills tailored for the evolving economy.