New Delhi: Rajnath Ram, Adviser, Energy, NITI Aayog, has said that the energy transition towards clean sources and a low emission energy system is undoubtedly a priority for the country. Addressing a webinar on ‘Development of Skill action plan for fuelling transition from coal-based power plants to renewable energy in India,’ organized by FICCI jointly with EY on Wednesday, Ram said: “Four factors would play a critical role in India’s Transition from fossil fuel usage to cleaner or renewable energy, namely, increasing electrification, higher penetration of cleaner fuels, accelerated adoption of renewable energy and rising digitization and material efficiency.”

M Nagaraju, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Govt of India, said, “It is important to strategize and plan the energy transition from skill development perspective and it is heartening to see that Industry is recognizing the requirement of skill development and taking initiatives towards that.” Nagaraju mentioned that collaboration of technological advancements, financial enablement, skill development and institutional framework would be critical for the energy transition that the country has embarked upon.

Praveen Saxena, CEO, Skill Council for Green Jobs, said, “India has agreed to abide by the NDC targets in CoP21 and revised its targets in CoP26. This has translated into a huge opportunity for job creation in the country.” He further added that about two crore additional jobs will be created by 2030 due to transition towards renewable energy / clean energy. New opportunities from Green Growth to Green Job are opening up for start-ups and youth in the country.

Emphasizing on the need for just transition, Vipul Tuli, Chair FICCI Power Committee and CEO-South Asia, Sembcorp Industries, said, "The shift away from coal will have far reaching implications for the country. The action plan and cost of reskilling, redeploying and rehabilitating workers from the coal sector assumes importance at a national & multilateral level as part of India’s just energy transition."

Shivanand Nimbargi, Co-Chair, FICCI Renewable Energy CEOs Council and MD & CEO, Ayana Power, advocated for a balanced way to transit from fossil-fuels usage towards Renewable Energy. He also said that industry needs to manage social impact while transitioning to the Renewable energy away from coal.

S Suresh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal shared that to meet India’s CoP26 commitments, India’s move towards decarbonization, and adoption of Renewable Energy would entail reducing the country's dependence on coal. He further added that best practices in skilling should be imparted to workers in the coal sector. /BI/