NEW DELHI: A total of 51,331 'Suryamitras' have been trained under the government's Suryamitra Skill Development Programme (SSDP) for the solar sector, of which 26,967 have got employment, Minister for New and Renewable Energy R K Singh said on Tuesday.
SSDP was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in 2015 for creating skilled manpower for the installation, operation and maintenance of solar power projects, Singh said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
"A cumulative total of 51,331 of suryamitras were trained from inception up to May 2022 under this programme out of which 26,967 of suryamitras got employment," he added.
To boost employment opportunities in the green energy sector, several other initiatives have also been taken, the minister said.
The ministry has launched the Jal-Urjamitra Skill Development Programme to train technicians for installation, operation, repair and maintenance of small hydropower projects. Vayumitra Skill Development Programme (VSDP) (Phase-1) has been launched for creating skilled and trained manpower for the maintenance of wind power projects.
The government is supporting educational and training organisations and NGOs to undertake short-term training courses on various aspects of renewable energy, specifically to create trained manpower for system design, installation, operation and maintenance of projects, he said.