Gujarat govt's new "worry": How would India realize solar energy target? It woefully lacks quality manpower

By A Representative
A new “worry” appears to have gripped Gujarat government: Claiming to be No 1 in solar power, it is not sure how the Government of India would fulfill the solar power dream, revising the target upwards from 20 GW to 100 GW, especially when the rooftop segment, forming 40 per cent of the target, as it woefully lacks necessary manpower.
Suggesting that while solar power in general may have enough quality controls, a workshop held at Gandhinagar under the auspices of the state-controlled Gujarat Energy and Management Institute (GERMI) sounded a warning bell: The 40 GW, which will have to contributed by rooftop solar systems, does not have any strict quality control system.
Worse, it was suggested, India is woefully short of “skilled technicians and non-standard installation processes” for producing rooftop solar power, and the country would require at least 13 lakh technicians by 2022 in order to achieve the target of 100 GW it has set for itself. There is, however, no data on the number of technical manpower existing for solar power as of today.
This was particularly highlighted by the BJP government’s political appointee, IM Bhavsar, chairman, Gujarat Energy Development Agency, the state agency promoting renewable energy issues, and L Chuaungo, principal secretary, energy, Government of Gujarat.
While both “specifically focused on developing teaching capacity of the instructors of the rooftop solar installers”, a note issued by the Ahmedabad-based PR agency Simulations for the GERMI workship, said, the two “dignitaries”, underlining the importance of renewable energy, insisted that there is an “urgent need for skilled manpower for meeting the substantial national targets.”
Eighteen personnel from Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi and Goa attended the workshop. Those attended represented mainly industry bodies such as Pathfinder Ventures India, Grey Batter, Amba Township, Tata Power Co Ltd, Ichamati Society for Human Welfare and Relations, Gujarat Institute of Solar Energy, Bergen Group, and Australian Premium Solar.
The note added, “While the large-scale grid connected solar power projects have strict quality requirements, the rooftop segment currently lacks the stringent quality”, which is the “the need of the hour for administrators, project developers, industries and a young job-seeking workforce.”
Titled “Train the Trainer Workshop for Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Installers”, the workshop worked out a 12-point programme, aimed at setting up over 100 partnering training centres across the country, so that these training centers can further train 10,000 rooftop solar technicians and entrepreneurs each year.
The note does not say how 10,000 technicians would be able to fulfill the target of 13 lakh technicians needed across the country, nor does it point towards how many technicians are there in the country today for rooftop power.
“Through the training workshop, GERMI wants to develop a network of centres across the country to connect the latest solar technologies and standards to the remotest locations of India”, the note said, claiming, “The Train the Trainer workshop incorporates comprehensive educational elements including technical concepts, design, installation and maintenance.”
“In addition”, the workshop said, “The workshop also stressed on imparting the knowledge of entrepreneurship and soft skills. The classroom sessions will be supplemented with extensive hands-on activities.”
It added, “The programme is also in line with the recently launched Gujarat Solar Policy 2015, wherein it aims at 10,000 MW of solar systems, both ground-mounted and rooftop. In this policy Gujarat has announced a net-metering scheme for rooftop solar consumers.”

Comments

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

'Batteries now cheap enough for solar to meet India's 90% demand': Expert quotes Ember study

By A Representative Shankar Sharma, Power & Climate Policy Analyst, has urged India’s top policymakers to reconsider the financial and ecological implications of the country’s energy transition strategy in light of recent global developments. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, addressed to the Union Ministers of Finance, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Vice Chair of NITI Aayog, with a copy to the Prime Minister, Sharma highlighted concerns over India’s ambitious plans for coal gasification and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).

Labour unrest in Manesar trigger tensions: Recently enacted labour codes blamed

By A Representative A civil rights coalition has expressed concern over recent developments in the industrial hub of Manesar in Haryana, where a series of labour actions and police responses have drawn attention. A statement, released by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), said it stood in solidarity with workers in IMT Manesar and other parts of the country, while also alleging instances of police excess during ongoing unrest.

Search This Blog