Enhancing women’s empowerment as employees and entrepreneurs in decentralised renewable energy

India’s transition toward climate-resilient and decentralized renewable energy (DRE) systems presents a significant opportunity to advance inclusive development. Across rural and peri-urban regions, DRE technologies are increasingly being promoted to improve energy access, strengthen livelihoods, and support climate adaptation. However, women’s participation within renewable energy ecosystems continues to remain limited due to structural barriers related to access to technical training, employment opportunities, finance, mobility, decision-making spaces, and supportive institutional environments. These challenges are further shaped by intersecting inequalities such as caste, class, geography, education, marital status, and prevailing social norms.

Within this context, TERI’s research initiative seeks to examine women’s participation, empowerment, and labour transitions within decentralized renewable energy ecosystems in India. The study is supported by ODI Global, UK and aims to develop an evidence-based and intersectional understanding of how women engage with DRE skilling, employment, entrepreneurship, and leadership pathways, while identifying the social, economic, and institutional conditions necessary for meaningful inclusion.

Objectives of the Study

• Examine women’s participation and experiences within DRE ecosystems, including skilling, employment, entrepreneurship, and leadership pathways.
• Identify the social, economic, institutional, and cultural barriers that influence women’s access to and retention within renewable energy value chains.
• Analyse how intersecting factors such as caste, class, geography, age, education, and marital status shape women’s empowerment outcomes.
• Assess the effectiveness of existing policies, training programmes, and institutional mechanisms in promoting gender-responsive energy transitions.
• Document good practices, lived experiences, and scalable models that strengthen women’s agency, livelihoods, and decent work opportunities in the DRE sector.
• Develop evidence-based recommendations for creating inclusive, equitable, and climate-resilient renewable energy systems in India.

Expected Impact

The study is expected to contribute to the development of gender-responsive and socially inclusive policies for decentralized renewable energy transitions in India. The research will support governments, skilling institutions, industry actors, and development organisations in designing more inclusive training, employment, and workplace ecosystems. The study will also highlight the intersectional barriers faced by women from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, enabling more targeted and equitable interventions. In addition, the findings are expected to inform the design of future DRE programmes by integrating empowerment, decent work, safety, and social inclusion indicators into implementation frameworks.