Authors: Paavi Kulshreshth, Arun Sudarsan, Aparajita Bharti
Published: September 2024
As the fastest-growing large economy in the world, India’s energy demand is expected to grow by nearly 5% per year until 2040. The International Energy Agency projects that India’s expanding economy, population, urbanisation, and industrialisation will drive the largest increase in energy demand globally. This growth will be driven by a shift from coal to cleaner energy sources like solar and wind, which are projected to account for 70% of the global energy share by 2050. However, the energy sector continues to face significant gender disparity.
Globally, in the traditional energy sector, women hold only 22% of jobs, and the gender wage gap in the energy industry is about 15%, even when skill levels are comparable. In India, women make up less than 10% of the energy workforce, including in oil and gas, and just 11% in the solar renewable energy sector. According to LinkedIn Economic Graph data, while women’s representation at the entry and mid-level senior positions is 14% and 17% in the oil and gas sector, it drops to 11% at the Manager and Director levels, and decreases further to 10% and 9% at the VP and CXO levels, respectively.
Against this backdrop, CII—Centre for Women Leadership and The Quantum Hub (TQH) hosted a closed-door roundtable consultation with industry partners to explore the role of India’s energy sector in accelerating women-led development. The convening included representatives from both conventional and renewable energy firms, who participated in discussions on advancing women’s employment and leadership in the energy sector.
One major issue discussed was the misalignment between women’s STEM education and the specific skills required in the energy sector, particularly in emerging areas like renewable energy. While India has a relatively high proportion of female STEM graduates, few women transition into technical roles within the energy industry. The discussion explored ways to bridge this gap by introducing specialised courses and practical training to increase women’s employability.
The roundtable also highlighted the significant barriers women face in both corporate and on-site roles within the energy sector. The discussion touched on how government incentives, gender-responsive infrastructure, and flexible work policies could play a crucial role in retaining women in the workforce. Creating a more inclusive environment through targeted policies and programs can help foster greater gender balance in the energy sector.
This report summarises the key challenges and recommendations discussed during the roundtable, with a focus on education and skilling, corporate and on-site challenges, and policy recommendations to attract and retain women in the sector.