ReNew, Anakapalli Administration Partner to Train 300 Women and Youth for Clean-Energy Jobs

Renewable energy company ReNew and the Anakapalli District Administration have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch Project Surya, a three-year skill development initiative aimed at preparing women and youth for employment opportunities in India’s growing clean-energy sector. Under the pilot phase, 300 candidates, with a particular focus on women and young people from Anakapalli district, will receive training in solar energy, operations and maintenance, and other renewable-energy technologies. The programme seeks to strengthen employability and create pathways to sustainable livelihoods in the clean-energy industry. ReNew will be responsible for designing and delivering the training, providing qualified trainers, learning materials and assessments, as well as screening and training candidates. The District Administration will facilitate candidate mobilisation and provide appropriate training infrastructure and basic amenities. The initiative comes as Andhra Pradesh expands its renewable-energy and clean-energy manufacturing ecosystem. ReNew is establishing a 6.5 GW solar ingot and wafer manufacturing facility in Anakapalli, involving an investment of ₹4,200 crore. The project forms part of the company’s broader planned investments of around ₹82,000 crore in the state, including a 2.8 GW hybrid renewable-energy project in Anantapur. Together, these projects are expected to generate more than 3,600 direct and indirect employment opportunities in Andhra Pradesh. ReNew has operated in Andhra Pradesh since 2015, when it commissioned its first 24 MW wind project at Kalyandurg. The company currently has 717 MW of wind and 60 MW of solar capacity operating in the state. Through its corporate social responsibility initiatives, ReNew has also undertaken projects focused on education, sanitation, drinking water and community infrastructure across several districts of Andhra Pradesh. These include electrification of 10 rural government schools, establishment of 50 smart classrooms, construction of school toilet blocks, installation of RO drinking-water plants in 12 villages and deployment of more than 440 solar-powered street lights. Project Surya builds on ReNew’s efforts to increase women’s participation in the clean-energy transition. Launched in Gujarat in 2022 in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), the programme initially trained women salt-pan workers as solar technicians. It has since expanded to other communities, including women from coal-mining areas in Dhanbad. As of FY2025-26, the initiative had trained 728 women as solar technicians. Speaking at the MoU signing, Anakapalli District Collector and Magistrate Vijaya Krishnan said the programme would help create a skilled and employable workforce while opening avenues for sustainable employment and economic independence among local youth, particularly women. ReNew Foundation Chairperson and ReNew co-founder Vaishali Nigam Sinha said Project Surya seeks to ensure that women can participate meaningfully in India’s clean-energy transition by providing relevant skills and creating opportunities within the emerging renewable-energy ecosystem. The MoU will remain in force for three years, with ReNew and the Anakapalli District Administration jointly overseeing training, candidate mobilisation and programme implementation.