India, the world’s third-largest automotive market, is gradually transitioning towards a greener and more environmentally sustainable future. The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) represents one of the initial steps towards decarbonisation, supported by various schemes such as Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) I and II on the demand side and production-linked incentives (PLI) on the supply side.
The newly introduced Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme and the scheme to promote the manufacturing of electric passenger cars in India further promise to boost adoption and manufacturing in the EV and ancillary industries.
An increasing number of states have also introduced their own EV policies, outlining incentives and schemes. Some industrial incentives target vehicle manufacturers, battery producers, and ancillary companies, while others focus on skill development, employment generation, and research and development.
Read more: The future of transport is electric
The latter is crucial, considering that providing decent jobs and ensuring livelihood security is an important aspect of any industry-level transition.
Projections already indicate that the EV industry could generate 10 million direct jobs and an additional 50 million indirect jobs by 2030, highlighting its potential to reshape the employment landscape.
Let’s delve into the types of jobs currently available or soon to be created in the EV sector. With the rising demand across the entire EV value chain, including manufacturing, servicing, repair, maintenance, and recycling, there is a broad scope for jobs in manufacturing and assembly, after-sales services, charging infrastructure installation and operations, engineering design/re-design and research and development.
While some job transitions from internal combustion engine (ICE) to EVs have occurred, new positions have also emerged. These roles demand technical skill sets and training, and despite some shared components and processes between ICE and EV, the skill sets are often not interchangeable.
An analysis of Mapping skills in the EV and ICE sectors by OMI Foundation’s issue brief, Skilling Indians for an EV-Ready World, reveals that out of 35 EV-related job categories, only a third require skill sets similar to those required in the ICE sector. This underscores the need for continuous upskilling and reskilling of the existing EV workforce.
While state-wide and centrally implemented policy interventions are ensuring the creation of jobs within the EV industry, the pace is slow, and the supply of the workforce is insufficient to meet the demands of the job market. Therefore, a slew of measures are suggested for creating more jobs in the EV sector.
Read more: Making India’s 3-wheelers electric
By the nature of the industry, all jobs within this sector could easily be labeled as green jobs. However, for them to truly be green, an equally important aspect of being decent and sustainable is required.
Examples abound from around the world, with countries like China and Germany, coincidentally, leading both in EV markets and EV manufacturing. They have prioritised skilling and training as essentials in their policies.
Germany, in particular, has been a pioneer in concepts like learning on the job and work-based learning, with programmes like the dual system of vocational education and training already in place. The government has been supporting the e-mobility transition by investing in re-education and training programmes (€1.7 billion = ₹154 billion was budgeted for 2023 for training programmes across all sectors by the German Federal Employment Agency).
For EVs specifically, as per a WRI report, Germany established a national platform for enabling dialogues at the state and national levels and a national fund to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) reposition themselves for the EV industry.
It also encouraged the establishment of skilling platforms in collaboration with industry in states with large automotive clusters. Industry is also playing its part, with the automotive leader BMW launching an extensive, multimillion euro training initiative focused on electrics and electronics, data analytics, and artificial intelligence while expanding its global vocational training programme to include courses on the Internet of Things and augmented reality.
Similarly, China has been able to meet the demand for skilled workers by the electric car and semiconductor manufacturing industries through a vocational training push. Back in 2019, the country called for 300 business entities to provide or sponsor training and also created a nationally recognised skills certification framework.
Corporate partnership between academia and industry has been another measure to tackle the increasing demand for skilled high-tech workers in China. The launch of the BYD Field Engineer College in 2023 in collaboration with vocational schools in Henan province of Zhengzhou, which is home to a new BYD factory, is a testament to this initiative.
Here are a few things that India could also do to boost its share of jobs in the electric mobility sector.
Educate: The common perception of green jobs as environmentally friendly roles with high moral value but limited income opportunities needs to be demystified. Green jobs are integral to the impact economy and should be promoted as rewarding career opportunities where professionals can “do well” for themselves and simultaneously “do good” for the planet.
Encourage: Many academic institutions, like Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Madras, and Delhi Technical University, among others, have begun offering MTech courses on electric mobility. Similarly, there are educational institutions with incubation facilities for startups focusing on the design and development of EVs and their components.
These courses equip potential workers with the technical knowledge needed for various aspects of EVs, making them job-market ready. It is noteworthy that educational institutions are adapting their curricula to meet market needs and address industry requirements.
Moreover, industry-academia linkages can be strengthened by providing incentives and support for design ideas to progress to the product development phase. Across the country, various skilling programmes are underway through the National Skill Development Corporation via the Skill Council for Green Jobs, the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC), and the Skill India Portal.
For example, Delhi government has been designing vocational courses to train EV drivers, mechanics, and charging station staff in collaboration with auto original equipment manufacturers and energy operators. These initiatives are clear responses to the growing demand for skilled professionals in the sector.
Localise: Localisation of vehicle manufacturing as well as allied industries, including battery manufacturing, battery recycling, charging solution development, and motor and controller design, is a robust avenue for creating new job roles and providing localised employment opportunities across the entire EV ecosystem.
The new EV policy introduced alone offers a Rs 1,740.7 crore ($1.2 billion) localisation opportunity for EV component manufacturers, as per a recent article by business news channel NDTV Profit.
Engender: Like in any other green industry, female workforce participation in the EV industry is presently abysmal. This is primarily due to fewer girls opting for science, technology, engineering, and math or STEM subjects, a lower number of women entrepreneurs and a generally declining female workforce participation rate.
However, the trends are encouraging. For example, Bengaluru has initiated an all-women fleet of electric three-wheeler (E3W) drivers at metro stations to provide last-mile connectivity. The programme, called Low Emission Access to Public Transport, aims to empower women and integrate them into the urban mobility discourse.
The We-Hub initiative in Telangana promotes women’s entrepreneurship, including in the EV and automotive sectors. Centre’s public policy think tank NITI Aayog has also created a women entrepreneurship platform, which provides support and resources for women entrepreneurs.
In most cases, however, women have to struggle to enter male-dominated jobs such as E3W drivers, on shop floors, in operations and maintenance, or as business owners — due to societal perceptions and gendered roles dictating what women can and cannot do. At times, they face physical and emotional violence from their employers, family members, or society in general.
Experts on the EVolution podcast series, produced by the Indian office of non-profit German foundation Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and think tank CUTS International, while addressing gender concerns, stated that women E3W drivers face asset ownership issues due to available financing mechanisms.
These drivers have different preferences for travel patterns and the routes they take due to safety reasons. They also have time availability issues due to household and care work that needs to be fulfilled alongside remunerative work.
In addition to the suggested measures, greening jobs from the perspective of e-mobility requires structural changes that include addressing gender barriers, designing specific policy interventions at the job creation and skill development levels, providing incentives such as financial subsidies and offering institutional support such as the provision of supportive care infrastructure.
This will ensure that e-mobility jobs are not only productive but also just and inclusive.
Neha Gupta is Lead - Centre for Clean Mobility, OMI Foundation and Mandvi Kulshreshtha is Program Adviser, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth