The white paper covers employment potential in the automotive sector, the importance of skill development, current initiatives in India, organization and institute-level initiatives, and the global context in skill development. It also maps out the current initiatives in India for skilling and highlights some global practices suitable for India, the company said. 

Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) grew by 200% in 2022. Still, they are not within reach of the common people. The Indian electric vehicle market size is expected to be valued at USD 7.09 billion by 2025, creating a plethora of opportunities for job seekers, analysts and product designers, says a recent white paper on Skill Development in the Indian EV Sector by the Public Policy team of Statiq, a leading electric vehicle charging station provider in India. The paper says that for an EV-ready workforce, interventions are required at the educational, organizational, and government levels. 

The white paper covers employment potential in the automotive sector, the importance of skill development, current initiatives in India, organization and institute-level initiatives, and the global context in skill development. It also maps out the current initiatives in India for skilling and highlights some global practices suitable for India, the company said in a media release. 

According to the Invest India 2022 research mentioned in the report, the automotive sector employs about 37 million people. In the coming 10 years, the industry can add more than 10 million direct jobs, creating 50 million indirect jobs. For EVs to capture the Indian market, their upfront cost has to be reduced. Now a typical electric vehicle costs 40%-50% more than its petrol/diesel counterpart.  

The day this upfront cost gets reduced, electric vehicles are going to become the new favorite in the Indian markets. Earlier, the readiness of Electric vehicle charging infrastructure was also a major concern among people. However today a robust and reliable EV charging infrastructure is developed to cater to a much bigger number of electric vehicles than are currently present on roads, the release said. 

Sanjana Chhabra, Manager, Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations, Statiq, and the author of the report. said, “In order to effectively skill the workforce and make them ready for the tech-savvy EV industry, a collaboration between the education and the EV sectors is necessary. The EV transition across the world is giving rise to a technological transformation that requires both reskilling and training the existing and new workers. The education sector through its validated techniques and curriculum will ensure a smooth and effective skilling process in the sector which will play an important role in not only overcoming layoffs and job losses but will also contribute to a sustainable EV industry in the long-term leading to fiscal growth. The customs duty cut from 21% to 13% in the 2023-24 budget will help accelerate the growth of the EV sector in India.” 

Currently, the EV sector is facing challenges like niche skills, growth potential, course curriculum, women’s participation, and industry standards. There is a need to solve these challenges for a smooth and sustainable transition and only through the advancement of the workforce can the country become EV-ready, she said. 

Ananya Kundra, Intern, Policy Advocacy Team, Statiq, co-author of the report, said: “One major problem that the industry is facing right now is the incomplete supply chain from mineral procurement to battery production. One way to address this concern is to strengthen the collaboration between R&D institutions and industry, monitor the promising new developments worldwide and within India in the EV battery space. Also, research and development will require strong financial support from the government.” 

A lot of organizations like ISIE, Skill Lyc, Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC), Electric One, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), and Mercedes-Benz are also introducing great initiatives like courses and training to encourage skilling, upskilling, and reskilling of professionals in the industry. Moreover, institutes like IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, IIT Bombay, and ESDC (Electric Vehicles Skill Development Centre) are making great contributions in the same direction, the release added. 

Also Read, 6 Best Electric Cars in India Under ₹15 Lakh in 2024