India’s lithium battery manufacturing industry is entering a new phase of domestic production and supply chain localisation, with the sector projected to create 1.5 to 2 million jobs by 2030, according to staffing and workforce solutions company Adecco India.
The company estimates that 25% of these jobs will be direct while 75% will be generated indirectly across component manufacturing, recycling, logistics and supplier ecosystems. Annual hiring in the sector is expected to grow by 25-30% year-on-year, as India’s battery industry evolves from an import-dependent assembly model into an integrated cell-to-recycling manufacturing ecosystem.
India’s battery manufacturing capacity currently stands at around 60 GWh and is expected to approach 100 GWh by the end of 2026, driven by gigafactory investments across Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana and Haryana.
The expansion is being supported by the government’s ₹18,100 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cells, which aims to develop 50 GWh of domestic manufacturing capacity, along with an additional 5 GWh reserved for niche battery chemistries. A separate component manufacturing incentive worth nearly ₹12,000 crore is also under consideration to encourage local production of cathode and anode materials, copper foil, electrolytes and separators.
Deepesh Gupta, Director and Head of General Staffing at Adecco India, said India’s battery manufacturing journey has moved beyond policy announcements and is now translating into large-scale industrial capacity.
“The sector is moving beyond assembly and building the depth of a full industrial ecosystem,” Gupta said, adding that workforce planning must cover the entire battery value chain, from cell chemistry and pack integration to end-of-life recycling.
According to Adecco India, lithium battery manufacturing is expected to account for 50-60% of India’s projected green manufacturing jobs by 2030. Specialised battery engineering professionals are already commanding 35-40% higher salaries than those in conventional manufacturing and electronics roles.
Around 70% of hiring demand is expected to be concentrated in gigafactory clusters, while the remaining 30% will emerge from Tier-2 and Tier-3 industrial corridors, where component parks, recycling facilities and supplier networks are expanding.
State-wise, Karnataka is expected to account for the largest share of hiring at 24%, followed by Gujarat (22%), Telangana (18%) and Haryana (14%).
The cell manufacturing and battery components segment is expected to generate the largest share of employment, accounting for 42-45% of total hiring. Demand will extend beyond gigafactory operators to manufacturers of cathode and anode materials, copper foil, electrolytes, separators and precursor chemicals.
Adecco noted that China currently dominates much of the global battery materials supply chain, controlling around 80% of global copper foil production and refining a significant share of the world’s lithium, nickel and cobalt.
Battery recycling is also emerging as one of the industry’s fastest-growing employment segments. With India’s lithium-ion battery recycling market estimated to reach around USD 3.5 billion by 2030, hiring in recycling is expected to grow by 25-30%, particularly for hydrometallurgy engineers, battery diagnostics specialists and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance professionals.
Talent planning is also beginning to expand beyond lithium-ion technology. Adecco cited a 2026 CEEW assessment, which suggests India’s battery demand could reach 1.3 TWh annually by 2047, making diversification into sodium-ion batteries increasingly important.
Many sodium-ion battery components can leverage India’s existing strengths in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fertilisers and textiles, potentially creating new opportunities for chemical and process engineers across multiple industries.
Despite rapid investment announcements, Adecco estimates that specialised battery talent availability continues to trail industry demand by 25-30%, particularly in electrochemistry, materials science, battery process engineering and functional safety.
Entry-level hiring is expected to be strongest in process engineering, cell testing and quality roles, while mid-career demand is rising for Battery Management System engineers, automation specialists and materials engineers. Senior-level recruitment is increasingly focused on cell chemistry scientists, functional safety leaders and advanced manufacturing heads.
Gupta said bridging the skills gap will require faster reskilling of India’s existing manufacturing workforce, stronger industry-academia collaboration and sustained investment in specialised battery education as the country builds its domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem.
