Solar manufacturing industry providing nearly 30,000 jobs annually: Govt

New Delhi, Mar 16 (KNN) The solar manufacturing industry is providing 29,900 new jobs every year based on the installed capacity, the Rajya Sabha was informed. 

Under solar manufacturing, the module and capacity as of date is 11,500 MW, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Bhagwanth Khuba said. 

He said, "One MW provides 2.6 jobs per year and based on that annual jobs per year is 29,900,".

The government is also providing training under programmes and by February 2022, around 62,000 people were trained, he added. 

The Minister was replying to a query of YSRCP member V Vijayasai Reddy on the steps taken by the government for penetration of renewable energy projects in rural areas and how much employment has been generated. 

Khuba further said the government is eager to construct solar power parks in various states. It will fulfill the demands of the state government and help in this regard. 

Power Minister R K Singh, who was also present in the Upper House, said the government already has a PLI (production-linked incentive) scheme for solar manufacturing here of about Rs 8,500 MW. 

The Union Finance Minister has now announced a second PLI scheme in the budget of Rs 19,500 crore, he added. 

We already have some manufacturing capacity of 15,000 MW and we want to scale it up. We want to emerge as an exporter of the module, he said. 

The minister further informed that India has solar parks worth 30,000 MW and adding more in that as projects are coming up.  (KNN Bureau)