India could mobilise USD 4.1 trillion (INR 360 lakh crore) in cumulative green investments and generate 48 million (4.8 crore) full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs by 2047, according to a major new study released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). The independent national assessment also suggests that India could unlock a USD 1.1 trillion (INR 97.7 lakh crore) annual green market by mid-century, driven by 36 emerging value chains across the energy transition, circular economy, bio-economy and nature-based solutions.
The study argues that India’s green economy extends far beyond solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles. It highlights large-scale opportunities in bio-based materials, agroforestry, green construction, circular manufacturing, waste-to-value systems, sustainable tourism and nature-based livelihoods—all of which could mature into billion-dollar industries over the next two decades while strengthening resource security.
The announcement coincided with the formal establishment of the Green Economy Council (GEC). Chaired by Shri Amitabh Kant, the body includes prominent Indian business and innovation leaders such as Nithin Kamath, Deep Kalra, Ruchi Kalra, Shruti Shibulal, Vineet Rai, Ishpreet Singh Gandhi, Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Dr Srivardhini K. Jha and Dr Arunabha Ghosh. The council aims to guide India in realising the rapidly expanding opportunities in the green economy.
Industry leaders present at the event emphasised the transformative potential of this shift. Shri Jayant Sinha, President of Everstone Group & Eversource Capital and former Union Minister of State, was of the view that India’s green transition would be fundamentally net-positive—capable of creating millions of jobs, accelerating economic growth, improving public health and enhancing national security by reducing import dependence. He noted that the value chains identified in the study showed where the trillion-dollar opportunity lies, and pointed to the need for policy stability, land-use clarity and blended finance mechanisms to de-risk investments.
Shri Amitabh Kant stated that India, as a rapidly growing economy, has an unparalleled opportunity to design its future around circularity, clean energy and the bio-economy. He suggested that with most infrastructure yet to be built, India could avoid the linear models followed by the West and instead leap ahead—just as it did through digital public infrastructure. He underlined that a Viksit Bharat built on resource-efficient value chains could define a new global benchmark for green development.
Abhishek Jain, Director for Green Economy and Impact Innovations at CEEW, highlighted that a green economic pathway would not only generate employment and growth but also significantly enhance India’s resource security. He observed that India’s high dependence on imports—from crude oil and metals such as lithium and cobalt to fertilisers like potash and urea—could be drastically reduced through electric mobility, renewable energy, circular material flows and bio-based agricultural inputs. For India, he noted, adopting a green economy model is not optional but essential.
The study identifies major areas of impact:
- Energy transition could generate 16.6 million FTE jobs and attract USD 3.79 trillion in investments across renewable energy, storage, distributed systems and clean mobility manufacturing. Electric mobility is projected to be the largest employment generator within this domain.
- Bio-economy and nature-based solutions could create 23 million FTE jobs and unlock USD 415 billion in market value, with significant potential in chemical-free agriculture, bio-inputs, agroforestry and wetland restoration.
- Circular economy interventions could generate USD 132 billion in annual economic output and create 8.4 million FTE jobs, primarily in waste collection, sorting, recycling, refurbishment and material recovery.
The analysis also flags several challenges that will require coordinated action: lowering capital costs in early-stage sectors, improving supply chains for raw and recycled materials, investing in innovation, expanding technical skilling, and developing trusted product standards for emerging green technologies.
The study stresses the importance of women’s participation in India’s green economic future, recommending gender-responsive skilling, safer commute options for remote worksites, improved wage structures and targeted financial instruments for women-led enterprises.
Several states have already begun adopting mission-oriented governance models to build green economies. Odisha, for example, has created its own Green Economy Council and a committee of 16 state secretaries to integrate green value chains into economic planning—demonstrating the momentum behind India’s transition.
