Driven by climate policy, youth aspirations, and business transformation, Indian companies are ramping up green talent acquisition – but closing the skills gap remains the next big challenge

India Inc is undergoing a green transformation – and it is not just about installing solar panels or reducing emissions. Behind the boardroom buzzwords of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainability lies a more structural shift, under which companies are actively building green talent pipelines, from the C-suite to the shop floor.

Last year a survey by IBM and Morning Consult found that 82 per cent of Indian business leaders plan to hire professionals with green and sustainability tech skills in 2024. That is not a one-off trend. India’s sustainability hiring boom is being powered by converging forces – policy mandates, investor pressure, climate-aware youth, and a fundamental rethinking of business value. This is why 56 per cent of Indian youth, as per ‘Youth Perspectives on Climate: Preparing for a Sustainable Future’ report, express interest in pursuing green jobs.

35 Million Green Jobs By 2047?
A report by the Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ) and Sattva Consulting, supported by JP Morgan, estimates India could generate 35 million green jobs by 2047. These roles will span traditional and emerging sectors – renewable energy, electric mobility, waste management, sustainable construction, and even green textiles.

Private sector leaders are sensing the opportunity and the urgency. Simarpreet Singh, Executive Director & CEO, Hartek Group, says the company has seen a sharp rise in sustainability-focused roles in the past two years. “India’s expanding renewable energy sector and SEBI’s enhanced Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework are key drivers. The 2025 Union Budget’s support for green hydrogen and electric mobility only accelerates this momentum,” he said.

Explaining the nature of role, Suumit Joshii, Head of Business Excellence, Addverb said, “We seek professionals with expertise in environmental science, engineering, ESG reporting, and data analytics. Preferred qualifications include degrees in environmental engineering, sustainability, or supply chain management, along with certifications in ESG standards. Experience in automation, circular economy models, and stakeholder engagement is highly valued.”

From Boardrooms To Battery Labs
The nature of green jobs is evolving rapidly. Hartek, for instance, is hiring across the value chain – from senior ESG strategists to engineers and operational staff for solar and battery projects. “C-suite sustainability leaders are now business-critical. There is also growing demand for skills in climate risk analysis, renewable tech, and data analytics,” Singh adds.

Viral Thakker, partner and leader – sustainability & climate, Deloitte South Asia, echoes the shift saying that sustainability is no longer peripheral – it’s a boardroom priority. He added, “In India, 91 per cent of business leaders have increased sustainability investments, and 81 per cent feel pressure to accelerate climate action.”

According to Deloitte’s CxO Sustainability Report (India insights), the most in-demand roles today require hybrid skillsets – blending climate science, ESG reporting, circular economy frameworks, and digital fluency. Degrees in environmental science, public policy, or engineering now sit alongside sustainability certifications as prerequisites in many roles.

The Youth Factor: Green Aspirations, Real Challenges
This hiring wave also coincides with a generational shift in workforce values. A recent global report, Youth Perspectives on Climate: Preparing for a Sustainable Future, found that 56 per cent of Indian youth are interested in green jobs – higher than the global average of 53 per cent. Climate anxiety is real too as per the same report, 69 per cent worry about how the crisis will impact their future.

Delloit’s study found that nearly 70 per cent of Gen Z and millennial jobseekers in India now consider a company’s environmental policy important when choosing an employer. Yet, turning this interest into employability remains a challenge.

Talent Gaps and the Experience Crunch
Despite the optimism, employers face roadblocks – chief among them being the shortage of field-ready talent. “There’s a gap between academic learning and practical expertise, especially in solar and battery storage,” Singh of Hartek points out. “We have had to build in-house training programmes, but industry-academia collaboration is crucial.”

Deloitte’s Thakker agrees. “Green jobs grew 41 per cent over two years as per the Skills Council for Green Jobs, but supply has not kept up. Boards too lack deep ESG expertise. Education systems are just beginning to adapt.”

India’s renewable energy sector alone faces a shortfall of 1.2 million skilled workers, according to data from TeamLease. But, Anirban Ghosh, Head, Centre for Sustainability, Mahindra University believes that,  at present, a sustainability educator’s role is not just to educate but also to inspire. We must help them move from awareness to action – to see themselves not as bystanders but as future leaders in sustainability. In this context, bridging the gap between academics and practice  – a perennial challenge in established academic programmes – takes on a new dimension indeed.

Green Jobs Must Also Be Inclusive
Another pressing issue about green jobs is gender parity. Women hold only 11–12 per cent of green jobs in India, says Sachin Alug, CEO of NLB Services. “To address this, companies are adopting gender-responsive hiring and promoting women-led clean energy enterprises. Digital tools and flexible work models are enabling more women to participate in technical and leadership roles.”

He also points to large-scale government schemes – from the Green Skill Development Programme to Smart City initiatives – as catalysts for both job creation and skilling.

Collaborating for Climate Careers
To future-proof the workforce, collaboration between industry, academia and government is gaining pace. “Interdisciplinary curriculums, specialised skilling, and university-industry partnerships are shaping a digitally fluent, sustainability-literate workforce,” says Alug.

In short, what began as a compliance-driven push has evolved into a full-fledged hiring wave. With the right alignment of policy, industry leadership, education reform, and social equity, India’s green jobs revolution could well define its economic and environmental future.