A new iFOREST report says India's shift to clean energy, electric mobility and a circular economy could support nearly 1.3 crore jobs by 2035. Here's what that means for students choosing a career today.
India's green economy could support nearly 1.3 crore jobs by 2035 and about 98.5 lakh by 2030, according to iFOREST's October 2026 report India's Green Jobs Moment. Careers likely to benefit include renewable energy (solar and wind), electric mobility, green hydrogen, the circular economy and waste management, pollution control, and nature-based work such as agroforestry and forest restoration — which alone could account for about 41.5 lakh jobs.
🌱 What the New Report Says
The International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) has estimated that India's transition to a green economy could support about 98.5 lakh jobs by 2030 and nearly 1.3 crore jobs by 2035. The report was released in New Delhi with the Skill Council for Green Jobs.
The report also flags a skills gap: only about 5.3% of India's population has technical education and about 5% has formal vocational training. It recommends a National Green Jobs and Skilling Mission backed by state missions and district-level cells.
Source: iFOREST, "India's Green Jobs Moment: Pathways to Build a Future-Ready Workforce" (October 2026), released with the Skill Council for Green Jobs. Figures are projections, not jobs already created.
⚡ Careers That Could Benefit
🎓 Courses and Skills That Lead There
| Background | Green career paths | Skills to add |
|---|---|---|
| ITI / Diploma (Electrical, Mechanical) | Solar PV technician, EV service technician, wind technician | Installation, safety, troubleshooting |
| B.Tech EEE / ECE / Mechanical | Renewable project engineer, battery engineer, power electronics | Power systems, BMS, simulation tools |
| B.Tech Chemical | Green hydrogen, biofuels, process engineering | Process design, safety, electrochemistry |
| B.Sc Environmental Science / Agriculture | Environmental consultant, agroforestry, restoration | GIS, impact assessment, field research |
| CSE / IT / Data | Energy analytics, EV software, climate data | Python, IoT, data analytics |
| Commerce / MBA | ESG analyst, carbon markets, green finance | Sustainability reporting, finance |
🔄 Good News for Existing Workers Too
The report found that many current jobs have skills that can move into green sectors. About 89% of assessed coal-mining roles are highly transferable to metal mining, and around 90% of automobile roles and 71% of thermal power roles have high or medium transferability. In other words, mechanics, electricians and plant operators already have a head start.
🧭 How Students Can Prepare Now
- iFOREST projects ~98.5 lakh green jobs by 2030 and ~1.3 crore by 2035 in India.
- Nature-based solutions (agroforestry, restoration) could account for ~41.5 lakh jobs.
- Other sectors: renewable energy, green hydrogen, electric mobility, circular economy, waste and pollution management.
- Only ~5.3% of Indians have technical education — the report calls for a National Green Jobs and Skilling Mission.
- Figures are projections, released October 2026 with the Skill Council for Green Jobs.
