Make a career out of solar

This industry is not quite large yet, but the demand for skilled professionals in the solar photovoltaic industry is growing fast. With the global photovoltaic market on a roll—sales are expected to grow over six times to $40 billion (Rs 1.72 lakh crore) by 2010—it is expected that the Indian market will expand rapidly with the entry of major global and omestic companies into this industry and subsequently lowering of the cost of photovoltaics.

In the case of the domestic photovoltaic industry, most of the new jobs will come in production, marketing and installation of solar photovoltaic and thermal systems. It means the companies will require people from an engineering and management background.

 At present, the majority of demand for manufacturers comes from industrial and government areas. Says Anil Kumar Kutty, Director, KSK Surya Photovoltaic Venture: “The solar photovoltaic industry in India is yet to explode. It is likely that with thousands of Indian villages still without electricity, the Indian government will strongly emphasise on renewable energy sources in the form of solar photovoltaic (SPV) cells that could be an effective and cheap way to light up these areas.”

Photovoltaics produce electricity from a light source. A basic photovoltaic, also known as a solar cell, is made by materials such as silicon and thin filaments, commonly used in the microelectronics industry.

Solar cells that are connected together mounted on a frame or a platform are called PV modules. In India, most of the companies engaged in this sector make either solar cells or modules or both. Says Kris Lakshmikanth, Founder CEO & MD, The Headhunters India: “With oil set to become scarcer in the long run, and coal being a polluting source, solar energy is a clean, renewable source that can meet the global energy requirements over the long run.”

Fact box Who’s hiring: Tata BP, Moser Baer PV Technologies, Signet Solar, Reliance Industries (RIL), XL Telecom & Energy, Titan Energy Systems, Surana Group, Solar Semiconductor, and KSK Energy Ventures, among others Who’re they hiring: B.Tech, M.Tech in software and process engineering, PhDs in computer sciences. Management graduates with engineering degrees are also preferred At what levels: All—junior, middle (10-20 years of work experience), and senior level (above 20 years of work experience) At what salaries: Freshers start with salaries between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh per annum. Middle level executives command anywhere around Rs 25-40 lakh per annum. Senior executives can fetch upwards of Rs 60 lakh annually, plus perks and benefits What are the numbers like: The industry currently employs around 4,000 professionals. With a robust manpower requirement, this is expected to touch 15,000 by 2010