India’s battery manufacturing sector set to generate 1.5-2 million jobs by 2030: Adecco

Bengaluru, Sept 7 (TNT): India’s battery manufacturing industry is moving from an import-dependent cell assembly model towards a domestic cell-to-pack and recycling ecosystem, with the sector projected to generate 1.5-2 million jobs by 2030, according to Adecco India.

Of the projected jobs, around 25% are expected to be direct and 75% indirect, with hiring in the sector forecast to grow by 25-30% year-on-year.

The next phase of growth is expected to be driven increasingly by specialised capabilities in electrochemistry, materials science and battery process engineering rather than conventional assembly-line roles.

According to Deepesh Gupta, Director and Head of General Staffing, Adecco India, the country’s battery manufacturing journey is translating into plant-level capacity, supported by government incentives and investments in domestic advanced chemistry cell manufacturing.

Under the PLI Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cells, the government has committed ₹18,100 crore to develop 50 GWh of domestic ACC manufacturing capacity, with an additional 5 GWh reserved for niche chemistries. A new component manufacturing incentive scheme involving nearly ₹12,000 crore is also under consideration for cathode and anode active materials, copper foil, electrolytes and separators.

With battery manufacturing capacity currently at around 60 GWh and expected to approach 100 GWh by the end of 2026, the industry is moving beyond assembly towards a broader manufacturing ecosystem, Adecco India said.

Upcoming gigafactory investments in Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana and Telangana are expected to further drive employment. Since battery components account for more than 60% of cell costs and India remains heavily dependent on imported lithium, cobalt and refined battery-grade materials, workforce planning will need to cover the entire value chain, from cell chemistry and pack integration to end-of-life recycling.

Gupta said the localisation drive, supported by the Critical Minerals Mission and India’s participation in the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework, could reduce dependence on imported cells and refined materials, strengthen energy security and support the country’s Net-Zero target by 2070.

The battery manufacturing sector is expected to contribute 50-60% of India’s projected green manufacturing jobs by 2030, with specialised battery engineering talent commanding salary premiums of up to 35-40% over conventional manufacturing and electronics roles.

Gigafactory clusters in Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat and Haryana are expected to remain the primary employment engines, with individual facilities ranging from 6 GWh to more than 16 GWh of cell and pack manufacturing capacity.

Around 70% of total hiring demand is expected to be concentrated across these major clusters, while 30% of new mandates could originate from Tier-2 and Tier-3 industrial corridors as component parks, recycling facilities and supplier ecosystems develop around gigafactories.

State-wise, Karnataka and Gujarat are expected to account for the largest shares of hiring at 24% and 22%, respectively, followed by Telangana at 18% and Haryana at 14%.

The cell manufacturing and battery components segment is expected to account for the largest share of hiring at 42-45%. Demand will extend beyond gigafactory operators to manufacturers of cathode and anode active materials, copper foil, electrolytes, separators and precursor chemicals as India seeks to localise the battery supply chain.

Talent requirements are also beginning to expand beyond conventional lithium-ion technology. A 2026 CEEW assessment cited by Adecco indicates that India may need to diversify its battery chemistries as annual demand could reach around 1.3 TWh by 2047, with sodium-ion batteries emerging as a potential pathway to support the energy transition and reduce supply-chain vulnerabilities.

Several sodium-ion battery components, including cathode materials, hard-carbon anodes, electrolytes and aluminium current collectors, can potentially leverage India’s existing capabilities in pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, textiles and chemicals. This could create additional opportunities for chemical and process engineers to transition into the battery sector.

At the talent level, 45% of entry-level demand is expected to be concentrated in process engineering, cell testing, validation and quality functions. At the mid-level, around 40% of hiring is expected for Battery Management System Engineers, Process and Automation Engineers, and Materials and Electrochemistry Engineers.

At the senior level, accounting for around 15% of demand, companies are expected to seek Cell Chemistry Scientists, Functional Safety Leaders and Advanced Manufacturing Heads.

Battery recycling and circular economy manufacturing is also emerging as a fast-growing employment segment as end-of-life battery volumes increase. With India currently recycling only a small fraction of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and the recycling market opportunity estimated at around USD 3.5 billion by 2030, materials recovery is becoming an increasingly important component of workforce planning.

Hiring in battery recycling is projected to grow by 25-30%, with demand shifting towards Hydrometallurgy Engineers, Battery Diagnostics Specialists and EPR Compliance Leaders. Salary premiums of up to 30-40% are expected amid an estimated 45% skill shortage in the segment.

Gupta said specialised battery talent availability continues to lag industry demand by 25-30% across electrochemistry, materials science, battery process engineering and functional safety.

He noted that while India’s conventional electronics and automotive manufacturing workforce has strong mechanical and electrical assembly skills, these capabilities are not directly transferable to gigafactory environments without reskilling in areas such as cell chemistry, cleanroom protocols and battery safety systems.

“Addressing this gap will require accelerated reskilling of the existing manufacturing workforce, deeper industry-academia collaboration with chemical engineering and materials science institutions, and sustained investment in specialised battery technical education,” Gupta said.

Adecco India said companies that develop function-specific talent pipelines spanning cell chemistry, process manufacturing, functional safety and materials recovery will be better positioned to support the expansion of India’s battery manufacturing ecosystem.

The company said a one-size-fits-all workforce strategy may not be adequate for an industry that is both technically complex and still in the early stages of development.

TNT KM