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					</table>India&#8217;s renewable energy ambitions are creating demand for a new generation of engineers, researchers, and manufacturing professionals with specialized skills. However, the workforce pipeline has struggled to keep pace with rapid growth in solar manufacturing, energy storage, green hydrogen, and other emerging clean energy technologies.
In an interview on the sidelines of the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/mercom-india-renewables-summit-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Renewables Summit 2026</a>, Juzer M. Vasi, Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical Engineering, and associated with the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) at <a href="https://www.iitb.ac.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IIT Bombay</a>, discussed the shortage of skilled professionals in the renewable energy sector, the need to align academic training more closely with industry requirements, and the importance of introducing more specialized courses tailored to the sector.
Vasi emphasized that the workforce skills gap must be addressed within the next five years to prevent it from becoming a constraint on industry growth.
Edited excerpts from the interview:
As renewable energy expands and India scales up solar, wind, and energy storage, do you think the existing workforce pipeline is growing fast enough to meet the demand?
India is deploying renewable energy at a rapid pace, and we obviously need competent and skilled people to support that growth.
At the same time, manufacturing is expanding significantly. India now has almost 200 GW of module manufacturing capacity, while cell manufacturing capacity is ramping up.
This manufacturing expansion will require an entirely different set of professionals from those involved in project deployment. These professionals must also have a strong understanding of solar cell manufacturing processes and hands-on experience in fabrication laboratories.
Where do you see the most serious skill gaps: manufacturing, project implementation, or R&amp;D? Which area needs the most attention?
There is certainly a gap on the deployment side, but I believe it can be filled relatively quickly. If someone joins a company, they can probably become quite competent within a few months.
Manufacturing is comparatively more difficult because it requires more specialized skills, particularly in cell manufacturing, where highly skilled engineers are needed.
Research and Development (R&amp;D) is even more demanding because professionals need to understand the process in considerable detail. They must not only operate existing processes but also develop new ones. Solar technology is changing very rapidly, and unless companies continuously upgrade and adapt, they will no longer remain globally competitive.
R&amp;D therefore requires significantly more effort and professionals trained in research laboratories for several years before they can become competent R&amp;D engineers.
What are the primary reasons for the shortage of skilled workers in the renewable energy sector, and how can the gap between academia and industry be bridged?
Solar has grown very rapidly over the past seven or eight years. On the other hand, it is not easy for educational institutions to change their programs and curricula at the same pace. That has created a significant gap.
However, if industry and academia work together, there are several ways to address this problem. The gap may not disappear completely, but stronger collaboration can narrow it substantially.
Does India have enough specialized university and college courses to train the workforce required by the solar and renewable energy sectors?
I do not think we have enough courses at present, partly because academia is only now beginning to fully recognize the importance of solar and the number of jobs the sector is likely to create.
I should mention one program we ran through the National Center for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT Bombay. When we launched the center many years ago, we saw a significant shortage of people capable of contributing effectively to the National Solar Mission.
We realized that, one institution alone could not train the large workforce India required. We therefore launched a 40-hour intensive program called “Teach a Thousand Teachers.” It was conducted online and distributed nationwide, with about 1,050 teachers participating.
We also sent lab kits to around 40-50 remote centers so that teachers could learn to use them and later incorporate them into training for their own students.
Eventually, we distributed around 200 lab kits to colleges across the country. Something similar is now needed again because the sector has moved to a different level, and the training requirements have also evolved considerably.
What kind of government support is required to address the renewable energy sector’s skills gap?
Regarding training and education, the “Teach a Thousand Teachers” program was fully funded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Even the 200 lab kits were funded by the Ministry rather than by the engineering colleges that received them.
Government funding is essential. One may ask whether such funding should come from the Ministry of Education, since this is fundamentally an educational initiative.
However, the Ministry of Education looks after a very broad range of areas. MNRE should support such initiatives because the workforce requirements are being driven directly by renewable energy growth.
The funding required is not necessarily large, and there are several innovative ways to structure such initiatives.
I can give another example from the nanoelectronics sector rather than solar energy.
We had a program called the Indian Nanoelectronics Users Program. At the time, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, which oversees nanoelectronics, funded students, including PhD and other research students, from across the country to come to IIT Bombay and IISc, which were partners in the program.
Students could spend one week, two weeks, one month, or, in some cases, an entire semester in our laboratories. They were able to fabricate their own devices and gain real, hands-on experience with advanced equipment and instrumentation.
Around 700 papers were published by program participants, and more than 800 people used the facilities. Importantly, the intellectual property generated through the program belonged to the students and researchers themselves.
The patents, research publications, and PhD theses arising from the program belonged to the participants, while we provided the facilities and mentorship.
This had a significant impact on the semiconductor ecosystem. As India subsequently launched the India Semiconductor Mission, many of these people were well positioned to contribute effectively to it.
A similar program could play an important role in supporting the scale-up of India&#8217;s solar and renewable energy workforce.
Can India address the renewable energy skills gap within the next five to 10 years, and what steps are needed?
The skills gap at any level cannot be fully addressed in a couple of years. Some parts of it can be addressed quickly, but not all.
We must try to close this gap within about five years. Otherwise, the mismatch between industry requirements and the availability of skilled manpower could become large enough to constrain the sector’s growth.
Training and educational institutions therefore need to ramp up their capabilities quickly over the next five years.
We cannot wait 10 or 20 years. That would be far too long.
Are academic curricula adapting quickly enough to rapid technological changes in the solar sector?
Curricula are adapting. For example, we have a course on photovoltaic technology, and the content keeps changing as new technologies emerge.
What is more difficult is for entire academic programs to adapt. There are very few programs in India offering specialization at the bachelor’s or even master’s level in solar or renewable energy engineering. There are some, of course, but such structural changes happen more slowly.
We need more such programs. However, we must also remember that a bachelor’s, or even a master’s, program cannot be overly narrow in focus, because students ultimately need the flexibility to choose the areas in which they want to work.
Degree programs should therefore remain broad enough to give students flexibility while offering deeper specialization in emerging renewable energy technologies.

Renewable Manufacturing Needs a New Generation of Skilled Engineers: Interview

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					</table>Lithium-ion batteries dominate India&#8217;s energy storage market today, but researchers and industry are also exploring alternative technologies for long-duration energy storage that could improve domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported materials.
At the <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/event/mercom-india-renewables-summit-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Renewables Summit 2026</a>, Nikhil Tambe, Chief Executive Officer, The Energy Consortium at the Indian Institute of Technology (<a href="https://www.iitm.ac.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IIT) Madras</a>, discussed his team&#8217;s collaboration with High Energy Batteries, which received the Research-to-Innovation Award for developing a vanadium redox flow battery system for long-duration energy storage.
The following are edited excerpts from the interview.
Could you tell us about the project that received the Mercom research-to-innovation award?
I represent the IIT Madras Energy Consortium, and we have worked on this project with High Energy Batteries, based in Tiruchirappalli.
The project involves vanadium redox flow battery technology for long-duration energy storage. The work began at IIT Madras and was subsequently developed with our industry partner into a large pilot system that is currently operational in Tiruchirappalli.
This technology is particularly relevant because it can potentially be indigenized and manufactured at scale in India. Vanadium redox flow batteries are not yet as widely known as lithium-based systems, but we believe they can create a distinct category within the energy storage market.
Why did IIT Madras choose to focus on vanadium redox flow batteries?
Our focus is on long-duration energy storage, which means storing electricity at grid scale for six, eight hours, or even longer.
This requirement has become more important as India has rapidly expanded solar, wind, and other renewable energy capacities. The challenge is no longer limited to generating renewable electricity. It is increasingly about making that electricity available when consumers and the grid need it.
Energy storage is a key part of solving that problem.
Lithium-based chemistries have gained commercial acceptance because they are widely available and can be deployed at scale. However, we also understand their limitations, particularly for longer-duration applications.
What advantages do vanadium flow batteries offer over lithium-ion batteries?
Vanadium redox flow batteries become attractive when large quantities of energy need to be stored for six to eight hours. If several hundred megawatt-hours of electricity must be stored for that duration, lithium-based systems can become prohibitively expensive. Vanadium flow batteries are better suited to such long-duration applications.
Cost is one of the main advantages. Another is the potential for domestic manufacturing. If India has to import large quantities of lithium and associated materials, the overall cost and supply chain exposure can be significant. Many of the materials required for vanadium flow batteries, including vanadium itself, are available in India.
This reduces dependence on international supply chains and improves the possibility of developing an indigenous long-duration storage ecosystem.
What other energy storage technologies is IIT Madras working on?
We are also working on zinc-air batteries. Zinc-air is a different category of technology and could be suitable for storing energy over much longer periods, potentially for several months rather than a few hours. Our group is also working on pumped water storage. These technologies serve different use cases, and no single storage technology can address every duration, application, and operating requirement.
Is this research limited to IIT Madras, or are other institutions also involved?
Research is underway at several institutions, but IIT Madras has adopted a consortium-based approach. Our model brings together industry, academia, and the government. This collaboration strengthens technical capabilities and helps move research from the laboratory toward commercial deployment.
The government is involved, while a significant share of the project funding comes from industry. Our partnership with High Energy Batteries is an example of how industry participation can help translate laboratory research into deployable, commercially relevant technology.
How soon could vanadium redox flow batteries be deployed commercially at scale?
We already have a pilot system operating in Tiruchirappalli. The objective was to understand how the technology performs when connected to a real-world application.
For mass deployment, we are looking at a timeframe of two to four years.
The principal constraint will be India&#8217;s ability to manufacture these batteries at scale. However, recent energy storage tenders have begun to include vanadium redox flow technology alongside lithium-based systems.
We are also seeing vanadium-based systems participate successfully in commercial bids and secure projects. This gives us confidence in the technology’s commercial prospects.
How important is industry support in taking such technologies to market?
Industry support is essential. Research institutions can develop and validate technologies, but commercialization requires manufacturing capability, capital, supply chains, and deployment experience.
Industry collaboration enables us to test technologies under practical conditions and move them beyond the laboratory stage.
The renewable energy sector frequently cites a shortage of skilled workers. How serious is this gap?
The skill gap is real. One reason is the simultaneous emergence of new energy technologies. Solar may be considered a relatively mature technology, but it continues to undergo innovation, particularly in large-scale manufacturing and advanced cell technologies.
At the same time, the industry is expanding into energy storage, green hydrogen, green ammonia, and several other emerging segments.
All these industries require a large pool of specialized workforce. Without sufficient workforce development, different clean energy segments will compete for the same limited talent.
We have always said that today&#8217;s students will become tomorrow&#8217;s leaders in the renewable energy sector. They must be trained with that perspective.
Our consortium provides students with industry-relevant exposure and practical experience before they graduate.
Does IIT Madras offer dedicated programs for renewable energy professionals?
IIT Madras offers a master&#8217;s degree in energy systems and sustainable energy systems. In addition, we conduct several certification programs. We have also partnered with global institutions to establish a green energy academy that will provide technical training and certification courses.
These programs are not limited to students. Working professionals can also participate.
The certification courses range from two weeks to six months, while the degree program runs for approximately 18 months. Participants completing the certification programs receive credentials issued by IIT Madras.
How do you assess India&#8217;s progress in renewable energy compared with other countries?
India has been proactive in setting targets and supporting them through fiscal measures and implementation policies. Several countries consider themselves leaders in renewable energy, but they continue to face delays in emerging areas such as green hydrogen.
India, by comparison, has made allocations, established targets, and continued refining those targets based on market developments.
There is a consistent effort to bring costs down and scale deployment. Despite the challenges, India&#8217;s renewable energy deployment has broadly kept pace with expectations.
What is the outlook for biofuels in India?
Biofuels are already moving into the implementation stage. India has achieved the 20% blending target, and the government has now indicated greater ambitions. The next challenge is large-scale deployment and wider commercial adoption. The country has demonstrated that it can produce biofuels at scale, and the focus must now shift toward expanding their use across sectors.
Will coal continue to coexist with renewable energy in the near future?
Coal will remain relevant in the near term, but its use may evolve. One area of research is converting coal into useful fuels or chemicals instead of burning it directly. This could allow the country to use its coal resources without producing emissions through conventional combustion.
Another opportunity involves repurposing closed or inactive coal mines. These sites offer substantial land and infrastructure that could support new energy technologies and other innovative applications.
IIT Madras is working with the Ministry of Coal and has established a Center for Sustainable Energy with support from Coal India. Similar initiatives are also being pursued at other IITs.
India must examine how its existing natural resources and industrial assets can support the energy transition, rather than treating it as a simple replacement of one energy source with another.

India Can Build a Domestic Long-Duration Energy Storage Industry: Interview

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					</table>India’s renewable energy industry is expanding rapidly, but the availability of job-ready talent has not kept pace with the sector’s growth, panelists said at the <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/event/mercom-india-renewables-summit-2026/agenda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Renewables Summit 2026</a>.
Speaking at the session “<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/event/mercom-india-renewables-summit-2026/agenda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bridging the Renewable Energy Talent Gap: Aligning Academia with Industry Needs</a>,” panelists said companies across solar manufacturing, project development, rooftop, and renewable energy services continue to face long training cycles, high attrition, and a shortage of practical skills among fresh graduates.
The session featured Raj Prabhu, CEO and Co-founder of Mercom Capital Group; Shishir Garemella, Head of International Business Development at <a href="https://scorecard.pvel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kiwa PVEL</a>; Professor Juzer M. Vasi, Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical Engineering and <a href="http://ncpre.iitb.ac.in/ncpre/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NCPRE</a>, <a href="https://www.iitb.ac.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IIT Bombay</a>; and Avinash Hiranandani, Vice President and Managing Director, <a href="https://www.renewsysworld.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RenewSys India</a>.
Garemella said the discussion should focus on solutions that can be implemented and assessed. “Hopefully next year when we come back, some of the takeaways, let’s see how many of those we have really implemented as an industry,” he noted.
Prabhu mentioned that Mercom’s survey of 102 companies found close to 50% of new hires entering the renewable energy industry are poorly prepared for their roles. Most companies take three to 12 months to train employees before they become productive.
“This is a huge drag on the provider of services because you are paying someone a salary without them actually being ready,” Hiranandani said. “By the time they get ready, they probably leave the job and move somewhere else. So, these are the realities that we are dealing with.”
Panelists said the skill gap varies across segments. Developers need professionals with commercial, grid, and project execution capabilities. Manufacturing companies require workers who understand equipment, process discipline, and production environments. Rooftop EPC companies need practical skills in feasibility assessment, design, installation, and customer service.
Professor Vasi said academic institutions must expose students to practical learning much earlier. He said IIT Bombay has introduced initiatives such as tinkering labs, where students build and experiment before fully developing theoretical depth.
“Students should be much more exposed to the real world, being in the lab for longer durations, seeing things happening, doing things themselves,” Vasi said.
He said IIT Bombay’s first-year undergraduate program now includes a tinkering lab where students make things before they have complete theoretical grounding.
“The students go in, they start making things without the kind of theoretical background,” Vasi said. “This is a good pedagogical point. You learn better if you go theory first and then go to the lab, or the other way around. We are trying this out.”
Vasi said communication and soft skills should also be part of engineering education.
“We do have a communications course where it is not communication in the typical sense of electrical communication, but talking to each other, empathy and all the soft skills,” he said.
Prabhu said it typically takes three months for employees to build a basic understanding, and nearly 12 months for them to truly understand the sector, their roles, and how to service clients effectively.
“Soft skills are very important for us. Basic email writing and communication skills are not something many graduates come prepared with from educational institutions, but they are critical in our work,” Prabhu added.
Hiranandani said manufacturing companies face a particularly acute challenge because workers often lack exposure to photovoltaic production. RenewSys trains new workers through a combination of classroom instruction and shop-floor learning for 30 to 45 days.
“We have a college professor sitting with us and working for us in our company,” Hiranandani said. “Every new worker that comes in or junior engineer that comes in does theoretical classes in the morning, and then they go on to the machine and learn the practical part. We do that for about 30 to 45 days depending on the person.”
“We are putting our syllabus on our website, and we will be offering certification courses for JS1 and JS2,” Hiranandani said. “It will be entirely free for people to learn from different industries around the world. There are videos and testing videos.”
Hiranandani said the lack of trained personnel has operational consequences. “When we commissioned the cell line, there was nobody who could spell cell,” he said.
Photovoltaics is absolutely a new technology. Our people are learning,” he said.
Speaking about startups, Prabhu said, “There is a perception among many startups that having an idea and raising money is enough. But often, the basic research has not been done. They may not know their competitors, the market, or the actual pain points they are trying to solve.”
“There is a lot of enthusiasm among young people to start companies, but experience, research, and a basic understanding of what is needed before getting started are often missing.”
“Startups need to step back, think more deeply, and be better prepared. They must know their competition, understand the market, and identify where the real pain points are,” Prabhu noted.
Hiranandani said RenewSys regularly hosts student visits from IIT Bombay and other institutions. However, he said many students are increasingly interested in startups.
“Many times, the students ask me how much funds can be made available to us where we can start a new startup,” he said. “They are more interested in startups than taking up a job, especially at IITs.”
Garemella said service providers face a different kind of readiness gap. While deep technical expertise may not always be required, employees need time to understand the sector, client expectations, and professional communication.
Panelists agreed that online learning can help, but only when it is integrated into formal coursework and evaluated. Vasi said videos and online content can complement theory, but project-based courses and hands-on learning remain essential.
“Some informational material can be gained online, but it should still be part of the course and therefore evaluated as part of that,” Vasi said.
“When I mentioned self-learning, what I really meant was project-based courses,” he said. “It could be a part of the course, or separate courses which are purely projects.”
The discussion also highlighted the need for stronger industry-academia collaboration in research. Vasi proposed industry-led R&amp;D consortiums to align academic work with near-term industry challenges and India-specific operating conditions, adding that institutions and faculty members are open to such collaboration.
Raj Prabhu said the consortium was a good idea. He said we can work toward a consortium-based approach to help academia better understand industry requirements and align its curriculum and R&amp;D priorities accordingly.
Vasi said institutions and faculty members are willing to collaborate.
Panelists said India also needs standards that reflect local realities such as heat, humidity, pollution, and bird droppings, rather than relying only on benchmarks developed for temperate climates.
The panel also discussed workplace culture and retention. Garemella said India must look beyond salary and recognize how working conditions influence the ability to retain talent.
“Longer working hours, lesser salaries, transportation difficulties, especially in Bombay, reaching office and getting home is a big challenge,” Hiranandani said. “People travel two hours one way to reach office and go back.”
Garemella said many of the applicants that we get are very strictly educated. They have a degree, but knowledge beyond that is very limited.
“Students need to expand beyond what they are learning in college. Many applicants we see have a degree, but their knowledge beyond that is very limited,” Prabhu said.
“Young people today have access to AI and a lot of technology, but the content they consume is not always relevant to their career path. They have access, but they are often looking at the wrong topics. They somehow have to realign and show some curiosity,&#8221; he said.
Speaking on the need for mentors, Hiranandani said, “My advice to students and young professionals is to find a mentor-someone they trust, someone successful in what they do and seek that person’s advice whenever possible.”
Vasi said renewable energy offers students not just a career opportunity but a chance to contribute to society.
“Solar and renewables are not only very exciting areas for you to choose a career, but also transformative not only for you but actually for the whole of society, and perhaps for humanity,” he said.
Garemella said purpose is becoming increasingly important for younger professionals.
“A lot of people are motivated by the purpose of the organization rather than just compensation. Within this country, we&#8217;ve seen organizations that have really inspired trust. People are willing to take a bullet in a hotel because they belong; they feel for the brand,&#8221; he added.
Panelists identified three immediate actions: creating more tinkering labs in industrial environments, exploring an industry-academia consortium, and encouraging mentorship for young professionals entering the renewable energy workforce.

Industry, Academia Must Collaborate to Bridge Renewable Energy Talent Gap

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					</table>India’s push to expand solar manufacturing is exposing a persistent gap between academic training and industry requirements, contributing to a <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/trained-workforce-shortage-imperils-indias-renewable-energy-sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growing</a> shortage of skilled workforce, according to industry leaders.
The widening skills gap has increasingly affected project costs, execution timelines, and overall productivity across the sector.
The challenge extends beyond curriculum design to include infrastructure limitations, insufficient faculty exposure, and limited industry integration. As India scales its solar manufacturing ecosystem, academic institutions are reassessing how engineers are trained for manufacturing-focused roles.
Theory-Heavy Learning
One of the most widely acknowledged challenges in solar education is the imbalance between theoretical knowledge and practical skill development.
Most academic programs continue to fall short in preparing students for real-world industry roles.
“Courses are largely technical in nature and cover technologies and some aspects of manufacturing,” said Nikhil Tambe, Chief Executive Officer, The Energy Consortium at the Indian Institute of Technology (<a href="https://www.iitm.ac.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IIT</a>) Madras. “But they stop there. They do not necessarily cover what somebody on the ground needs, like installation skills or practical deployment.”
This lack of hands-on exposure is particularly critical in solar manufacturing, where operational efficiency and precision on the factory floor play a decisive role.
Training in installation, equipment handling, and system troubleshooting, essential for workforce readiness, is still not systematically embedded in most academic programs.
Acknowledging the gap, institutions have begun offering new courses specifically focused on skills development for working professionals and students entering the solar installation and manufacturing segment.
Curriculum Revamp
According to Balachander Krishnan, Chief Operating Officer at <a href="https://indosolsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indosol Solar</a>, addressing the skills gap must begin with a fundamental overhaul of how solar manufacturing is taught.
“Curriculum revamp is not optional. It has to be co-designed with industry,” he said. “We need to move beyond legacy content and introduce specializations in next-generation technologies like TOPCon, HJT, and even emerging areas like perovskites.”
Beyond theoretical updates, he highlighted the role of digital tools in accelerating learning. Technologies such as virtual and augmented reality can simulate real manufacturing environments, enabling students to train on complex processes safely and efficiently before entering the factory floor.
Industry Collaborations
To bridge the disconnect between academia and industry, many institutions are increasingly relying on industry partnerships to make learning more relevant and application-oriented. Industry-funded research projects, consultancy assignments, and collaborative programs are exposing students to real-world challenges early in their academic journey.
At IIT Madras, for instance, industry-funded projects now constitute a significant portion of academic work. Students involved in these projects gain valuable insights into industry operations, including project timelines, deliverables, and problem-solving in live environments.
“When students work on industry projects, they understand how to plan for 12 to 24 months, unlike pure research, they get tuned to industry needs,” Tambe explained.
Short-term technical consultancy has also seen a rise, with industries approaching academic institutions to address specific operational challenges. Although shorter in duration, these assignments provide highly focused and practical learning opportunities.
A standout initiative is the Industrial Energy Assessment Cell at IIT Madras. Under the program, student teams visit industrial units, especially MSMEs, to measure energy consumption, identify inefficiencies, and recommend improvements.
Over time, the initiative has evolved into a hub-and-spoke model involving around 10 IITs, supported by approximately 50 full-time members and several student participants.
At the doctoral level, industry integration has become even more prominent. Industry-funded PhD programs and research consortia allow students to work on long-term, forward-looking challenges defined by companies.
Infrastructure a Key Differentiator
While industry collaborations remain important, access to real-world infrastructure is emerging as a decisive factor in addressing the skills gap. While many institutions continue to rely on partnerships, Pandit Deendayal Energy University (<a href="https://pdeu.ac.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PDEU</a>) has adopted a more infrastructure-driven approach to solving the skills gap.
The Department of Solar Energy at PDEU offers a comprehensive curriculum covering the entire solar value chain, from semiconductor physics and cell design to module manufacturing, power electronics, and policy frameworks. This curriculum is continuously updated through active research and industry feedback.
The university operates a 1 MW multi-technology, grid-connected solar park that has been active since 2011, providing students with exposure to real-time solar performance. It also commissioned a 45 MW solar module manufacturing line in 2024 that replicates an industrial production environment and offers hands-on training on equipment such as stringer machines, lamination presses, and electroluminescence testers.
Pankaj Yadav, Associate Professor at the Department of Solar Energy, explains, “Students here don’t just learn about solar manufacturing, they work directly on production-grade systems.”
Echoing this view, Abhijit Ray, Professor in the Department of Solar Energy, said such infrastructure ensures students are exposed simultaneously to both systems-level and manufacturing-level challenges, a combination rarely available in academic settings.
Krishnan also emphasized the need for embedded infrastructure. “We need ‘labs-on-campus’ where industry brings in actual manufacturing equipment. Training cannot happen in abstraction. It has to mirror real production environments,” he added.
Faculty Gaps
Another challenge is the shortage of faculty with direct industry experience. Even leading institutions continue to face significant staffing gaps. “There is a large shortage of faculty, even at IIT Madras. We would like to have significantly more,” Tambe said.
To address this, new roles such as “Professor of Practice” have been introduced, enabling industry professionals to teach for short durations and bring practical insights into academic programs. The relatively short tenures are designed to ensure a continuous influx of industry expertise into classrooms.
At PDEU, faculty recruitment places strong emphasis on international research exposure and applied industry expertise.
Joint R&amp;D and Innovation Ecosystems
Looking ahead, deeper collaboration in research and innovation could play a transformative role in strengthening India’s solar manufacturing ecosystem.
“Joint research and development (R&amp;D) projects between academia and industry are critical,” said Krishnan. “Students should work on real manufacturing challenges, including improving yield, reducing material consumption, and minimizing defects in crystal growth.”
Such collaborations not only enhance practical learning but also contribute directly to industry competitiveness and manufacturing efficiency.
Standardization and Certification
Another gap is the absence of standardized skill benchmarks across the solar sector.
“India needs national-level certification frameworks for solar technicians. This ensures consistency in quality across the sector,” Krishnan noted.
He also recommended aligning academic programs with national skill frameworks and working closely with the Skills Council for Green Jobs to ensure that training programs meet industry-defined qualification standards.
No Feedback Mechanism 
Evaluating whether graduates are truly industry-ready remains a complex challenge. Most institutions rely on placement statistics as the primary indicator of success. “There is no systemic feedback mechanism from industry after students graduate,” Tambe admitted.
However, PDEU adopts a broader and more outcome-oriented approach. Beyond placements, the university evaluates success through entrepreneurship, innovation, and research output.
The department notes that more than 15 companies have been founded by alumni, while over 200 startups have been incubated through the university ecosystem. Placement rates exceed 85%, with graduates joining companies such as Adani Solar, Waaree Energies, and Tata Power Solar.
“The most credible proof is not placement, it is company formation,” according to the university.
During a panel discussion at the Mercom Renewables Summit 2025, Raj Prabhu, CEO and Co-Founder of <a href="https://mercomcapital.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom Capital Group</a>, highlighted the growing talent gap as one of the biggest challenges facing India’s clean energy sector.
“India’s solar industry is scaling rapidly, but the talent pipeline has not kept pace with the market’s evolution. We regularly interview candidates across the industry, and many are still being taught technologies and business models that became irrelevant years ago. Companies are spending significant time and resources retraining graduates because the education system has not evolved alongside industry. Many students have told me they learned more about the market from reading Mercom India publications than from their college curriculum,” Prabhu said.
Sudeep Jain, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>), also <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/india-sets-target-of-1-8-tw-of-renewable-energy-capacity-by-2047" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> the need to modernize training programs. “Traditional approaches aren’t enough. We need to introduce renewable energy modules in engineering colleges, industrial training institutes, and vocational schools. Industry involvement is key to building effective curricula,” he said.
As India works towards its ambitious target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, demand for a skilled workforce in solar manufacturing is expected to surge. Engineering colleges must quickly align their curricula with the evolving requirements of the solar manufacturing ecosystem, particularly as the government increases its focus on domestic manufacturing across the value chain, from ingots and wafers to cells and modules.

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