How India's Solar Training Programme Is Faltering

In 2015, the government launched the Suryamitra scheme to create a skilled workforce for tapping into India’s solar potential. As the government advances targets through initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar--designed to cut power bills and enhance employment--we look at if and how the Suryamitra scheme effectively contributes to these goals.

The overwhelming demand for rooftop solar assistance--with more than 10 million households seeking support within a month of PM Surya Ghar’s announcement--highlights the acute demand for skilled personnel in the solar industry.

The Suryamitra Skill Development Programme prepares youth for pivotal roles in solar installation, operation, and maintenance, and also nurtures entrepreneurial ambitions within the sector. Additionally, against the backdrop of rising unemployment which reached 9.2% in June 2024, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, initiatives such as Suryamitra are intended to foster sustainable employment.

Since the programme’s launch in 2015, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has aimed to train 50,000 Suryamitras by 2018. The then MNRE minister R.K. Singh told the Rajya Sabha in July 2022 that this target had been exceeded. Over the past two years alone, an additional 6,040 Suryamitras have completed training across 139 registered centres in India, government data show.

To delve deeper into the training and employment avenues opportunities for Suryamitras, we visited training centres and spoke to participants and industry representatives in Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh plans to develop 17 civic bodies as solar cities, making Lucknow a significant hub with its 10 Suryamitra training centres.

Missing training centres

The Suryamitra programme spans 600 hours of training over three months, offering participants boarding and lodging facilities at accredited training centres (TCs) operated by training partners. Certification is overseen by the Skill Council for Green Jobs under the National Skill Development Corporation. TCs must meet stringent criteria, including infrastructure standards, industry tie-ups for on-the-job training, and facilities such as laboratories and classrooms.

In Lucknow, seven out of 10 TCs designated for Suryamitra training are under NGO management, we found. When this correspondent visited in the first week of July 2024, all seven identified centres on the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) portal were non-operational. According to information from the website, three of these centres were meant to be centrally located in the Chowk area, but local residents were unaware of their existence. Munawar, a local shopkeeper at Chowk, said, "These neighbourhoods are tightly knit; it's unlikely there are any training institutes here, and we've heard nothing about them."

In Thakurganj, we visited the Jai Hind Montessori School, subcontracted by a training partner, Shafiq Bano Charitable Society, for Suryamitra training. The school lacked essential facilities such as residential accommodations and proper laboratory infrastructure. The most recent Suryamitra session at this school took place from February to May 2023. There were no available records of alumni to follow up on placement.

S. Anwar Abbas from the Shafiq Bano Charitable Society underscored the challenges faced by skill development centres, citing delays in government payments as a critical issue. "Our last batch concluded in May 2023, and we are yet to receive payment,” Abbas said. “This delay severely hampers our ability to sustain ongoing operations independently, necessitating subcontracting arrangements."

According to data from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the ministry allocates Rs 8.8 lakh to TCs to administer the 600-hour course for 30 students at these centres, with an additional Rs 8.5 lakh allocated for boarding and lodging facilities. These courses are offered free of charge to students, with no fees incurred on their part.

IndiaSpend reached out to the ministry seeking comment on the TCs lacking mandatory facilities, and concerns about non-payment for services rendered. We will update this story when we receive a response.

Seeking jobs after short-term training

There are two government-run training centres in Lucknow. One is run by the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA), jointly established by the Union and state governments. Established in 1991-92 at Chinhut, Lucknow, the centre focuses on research, development, and training to meet the demand for skilled manpower in alternative energy sectors. Equipped with an auditorium, lecture rooms, a guest house and a hostel, the centre offers training for the Suryamitra programme.

Despite its infrastructure, including laboratories and solar panels, the UPNEDA centre diverges from the NISE mandate by offering a shorter training programme: Instead of the mandated 600 hours, UPNEDA provides 300 hours of training spread over 45 days.

When this correspondent visited the UPNEDA training centre, at the end of June 2024, UPNEDA had initiated two new Suryamitra training batches, with the capacity to accommodate additional batches. According to trainer Namrita Singh, the centre conducted nine batches of the 300-hour Suryamitra programme in 2023. "We have around 12 classrooms along with labs and auditoriums to ensure that trainees have access to adequate resources,” Singh noted.

IndiaSpend reached out to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to inquire about the rationale behind outsourcing training to NGOs when government centres are well-equipped. We will update this story once we receive a response.

Employees at the UPNEDA centre also reported that they were unaware of any operational private training centres for Suryamitra in Lucknow.

Furthermore, UPNEDA's facility lacks tie-ups with industries for placements and job training, relying instead on the National Skill Development Corporation’s Rozgar Mela to assist Suryamitras in finding employment opportunities. "Upon completion, students typically secure salaries ranging from only Rs 10,000-12,000,” said Namrita Singh, a trainer at UPNEDA. “Some find contractual roles in government solar plants, but all these positions are usually short-term, lasting only for the duration of specific projects."

The current batch at the UPNEDA training centre primarily comprised students from Lalitpur and Jhansi. In March 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the joint venture company TUSCO Ltd.'s 600 MW Solar Power Project in Lalitpur. Anjali Srivastava, a 23-year-old student from Jhansi, explained that many participants were referred for training after completing diplomas from Industrial Training Institutes or ITIs, prompted by the government's acquisition of their ancestral land for the power plant installation.

"We had ancestral land in Lalitpur that belonged to my grandfather," Srivastava said. "TUSCO Ltd. offered us lower compensation but promised one family member a job at the company after completing Suryamitra training. Hence my brothers and I are here, hoping to secure employment." According to Srivastava, the company has assured a salary of Rs 22,000-Rs 25,000, contingent upon the project's duration.

Many students at UPNEDA’s Suryamitra centre reported that they were already employed as electrical technicians, earning Rs 15,000-18,000 per month. Therefore, the programme did not significantly increase their income or secure their permanent integration into the workforce.

Funding solely for Suryamitra training

The other government-run Suryamitra training centre was located at the University of Lucknow, where the MNRE has been addressing a persistent shortage of skilled workers in the renewable energy sector through the Institute of New and Renewable Energy.

Initiatives began with a postgraduate programme in 2007, with Rs 50 lakh allocated in 2013 for infrastructure and laboratory development. This effort was further reinforced by a 2015 mandate from the University Grants Commission to establish a three-year Bachelor of Vocational Studies in Renewable Energy programme.

A year later, the institute also started Suryamitra training. By 2021, the institution had achieved an autonomous status under the University of Lucknow, offering bachelors, masters, and Suryamitra training programmes.

Despite initial investments in classrooms and labs, the institute's infrastructure had deteriorated, this correspondent found. Laboratories were found neglected, covered in dust, with equipment strewn across the floor. Similar to other centres, the Suryamitra training facility here was non-operational at the time of our visit.

The institute operates without permanent faculty, relying instead on guest lecturers for all three courses. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an institute employee highlighted financial challenges: "We receive funding solely for Suryamitra training now. Our bachelors and masters programmes are heavily under-funded."

Faculty compensation is also an issue, with professors who hold doctorates and have extensive teaching experience reportedly earning Rs 2,000 rupees per module, resulting in a monthly income of just Rs 8,000-10,000.

Speaking to the effectiveness of the Suryamitra training, the employee raised concerns about its brevity and the quality of the practical skills acquired by students. The institute’s employee said that the Suryamitra programme's 45-day duration does not adequately prepare graduates for the workforce, leading to gaps in basic skills. “After the training, the Suryamitras earn a meagre amount, their salaries not exceeding Rs 25,000 even after years of experience, and they only get short-term contractual jobs.”

IndiaSpend reached out to Jyotsna Singh, director at the Institute of New and Renewable Energy, for insights into the ongoing infrastructural and faculty issues. We will update this story when we receive a response.

Local solar operators yet to employ Suryamitras

According to NISE, from 2015 to 2024, about 5,800 Suryamitras have been trained in Uttar Pradesh, with 2,115 Suryamitras securing jobs in companies.

Across Lucknow, the installation of solar rooftop panels has also seen a significant rise, reflecting a growing trend in the state over the past few years. Rituraj Singh of Om Solar Solutions, a vendor selected by UPNEDA for solar rooftop installations since 2019, notes substantial business expansion including hirings. His company has installed panels in 400 houses across the city over the past six years.

Rituraj Singh says that his workforce predominantly comprises individuals with masters’ degrees in renewable energy, with a preference for graduates from the University of Lucknow. This year, he is assessing candidates from Suryamitra training centres for the first time. He said the company provides an additional two to three months of training to Suryamitras to adequately prepare them for on-site responsibilities.

This story was supported by a grant from the Earth Journalism Network.