IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - March 2020 - 77

opportunities to integrate GESI interventions and activities in all the key components of India's renewable energy program. It identifies some of the "entry points," such
as financial assistance schemes for technologies,
employment, and training targeting below poverty line
(BPL) households, women, scheduled caste (SC) and
scheduled tribe (ST) communities, and community
based organizations.2 The study concludes that while
there is no technological fix to addressing GESI challenges confronting society, the transition taking place in the
energy and power sector driven by technology innovation does provide women the opportunity to get on
board at the early phase of these changes and influence
and even transform their societies and lives.

Renewable Energy
Renewable energy amounted to approximately 21.8% of
total installed capacity in India in March 2019. Since
2002, renewable energy power capacity has increased
by more than 48 times [3]. Wind power was the major
contributor, at 45.9% of total installed renewable power
capacity in March 2019, with solar at 36.3% and the balance small hydro and bio-power (biomass and gasification, and bagasse cogeneration). The bulk of the
installed capacity for renewable energy is owned by the
private sector. Coal-based capacity was dominated by
the public sector until 2010, when private sector-owned
capacity rose suddenly, with 76 GW owned by the private sector - as compared to 125 GW by the public
sector - in March 2019. Gas capacity is shared
between the private sector and the public sector almost
evenly. Hydro capacity is mostly public sector owned [4].
Renewable energy has significant potential in increasing employment opportunities for women. Women
account for 32% of the renewable energy workforce
worldwide compared to 22% in oil and gas. However, in
STEM-related positions, 28% of jobs are held by women,
compared to 45% of administrative jobs in the sector
[13]. In India the renewable sector employs an estimated
719 000 people, approximately 6.5% of the sector's
global workforce. This includes 347 000 jobs in hydropower (the highest in the world, representing 17% of the
global workforce), 115 000 jobs in grid-connected solar
PV (the fifth highest in the world), 85 000 in biomass,
and 58 000 jobs in wind power (fourth highest in world).
There is no reliable data for off-grid solar PV but it is estimated that it employs as many people in India as gridconnected solar PV [14]. However, the proportion of
women employed in the renewable sector in India is low
by global standards. A World Bank survey of 11 power
2

Scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs) are the officially designated
groups of most disadvantaged people in India. These communities were notified as scheduled castes and scheduled tribes as per provisions contained in
Clause 1 of Article 341 and Article 342 of the Constitution of India, respectively.

MARCH 2020

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sector organizations in India found there were 4225
women out of a total of 52 008 staff (8.1%) as of 2018. It
is unclear what the breakdown is between technical and
nontechnical female staff, but it is likely skewed toward
nontechnical staff. This reflects the generally low rate of
female workforce participation: 27% (https://databank.
worldbank.org/databases/labor-force). In addition to barriers to employment faced by women worldwide, women
in India face a greater than normal burden of unpaid
work, including agricultural and agri-processing tasks,
obtaining fuel and water, and caring roles. Increased
modern energy access would contribute towards the
amelioration of some of these burdens.
The major renewable energy programs under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) include: the
National Solar Mission (grid connected and off-grid
schemes); biomass; biogas; wind power; and small
hydropower schemes. This article reviews each of these
major programs and for each of the programs, analyzes
a) what is being done and its contribution to renewable
energy and b) the opportunities for gender equity and
social inclusion.

Solar - National Solar Mission
The National Solar Mission was launched in January
2010. This envisaged a target of 20 GW of grid-connected
solar power by 2022. In 2015, the government scaled-up
the target by 5 times to 100 GW by 2022 (Government of
India, MNRE 2017). The present solar PV capacity is
30 GW, approximately 36% of total renewable energy
capacity, mostly grid connected and ground mounted.

Solar Parks
The Scheme for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra
Mega Solar Power Projects, launched in December 2014,
supports the states in setting up solar parks and establishing required infrastructure for the projects. As of
April 2019, 42 solar parks of aggregate capacity of
23 449 MW have been approved, covering 22 states.
These solar parks are at different stages of development. The states with plans for large-scale installations
include Andhra Pradesh (4000 MW capacity), Gujarat
(6200 MW), Madhya Pradesh (2750 MW capacity), and
Rajasthan (4331 MW capacity).
The parks will provide suitable developed land with
all clearances, transmission systems, water access,
road connectivity, communication networks, etc. The
scheme will facilitate and speed up installation of gridconnected solar power projects for electricity generation
on a large scale. All the states and union territories are
eligible for benefits under the scheme. The capacity of
the solar parks is 500 MW and above. However, smaller
parks will be considered in the Himalayan region and
other hilly states where large areas of land may be

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