India must prioritise job creation through a climate lens in a way that is done differently to the West, according to a leading Indian social impact advisor. 

Rathish Balakrishnan, co-founder of Sattva, a social impact consulting firm working with businesses, government and communities, says a just transition will mean an understanding of the national workforce. 

Up to 85 per cent of India’s employed work in so-called low-skilled jobs, in manual labour for example. He says that making sure they are upskilled with new, sustainable jobs, and ultimately not left behind. 

And while large companies may shift into a green economy through environmental, social governance targets (ESG), Forbes India reports that Balakrishnan believes the number of jobs created will still exceed global averages. 

As India makes its green transition and companies adopt sustainability more aggressively, some of the jobs in demand will be climate finance-related disciplines, carbon budgeting, climate risk insurance, engineering roles, consulting and policy advisory. 

Somnath Baidya Roy, head of the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, told the publication that his students are going for careers in sustainable and renewable energy. 

‘India has the fastest growing renewables capacity in the world and is the fourth-biggest right now. We will need experts to forecast and manage intermittency in solar, wind and other renewable energy,’ he says.  

Roy warns that, unlike in Europe and the US, climate and sustainability are still not a priority agenda in India.  

Shafi Musaddique is the news editor at Alliance Magazine