India faces Major EV Hurdle: 2 Lakh Skilled Charging Staff Needed by 2030

India’s ambitious transition to electric mobility is facing a critical roadblock: a severe shortage of skilled technicians. According to a new industry whitepaper, the country will require between 1 lakh and 2 lakh trained professionals specifically to manage and maintain Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations by the year 2030.

While the hardware infrastructure for EVs is growing rapidly, experts are warning that the "human capital" required to operate it is lagging dangerously behind.

The TERI and Mercedes-Benz Report: A Wake-Up Call

The findings come from a whitepaper jointly released by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India.

The report highlights the disparity between infrastructure growth and skilled labor. India has seen its public charging points skyrocket from just 25 in 2015 to nearly 30,000 as of August this year. However, the report emphasizes that achieving India's ultimate EV targets depends heavily on skilling the workforce needed to keep these chargers operational.

The Scale of the Infrastructure Challenge

To meet government targets—aiming for an ideal ratio of one charger for every 40 electric vehicles—the pace of installation needs to accelerate drastically. Industry estimates suggest India needs to add approximately 400,000 new chargers annually for the rest of this decade.

Underscoring this rapid expansion, Tata Power recently inaugurated a "MegaCharger hub" near Mumbai Airport’s Terminal 2, adding to the growing network that urgently needs skilled oversight.

Beyond Basic Electrical Work: The New Skillset

The report stresses that maintaining a modern EV charging station is no longer a job for a standard electrician. The role of "Charge Point Operators" has evolved significantly.

Modern technicians require specialized training in:

• High-voltage systems management.

• Software integration and connectivity diagnostics.

• Maintaining operational consistency across networks.

Challenges in Tier-2 and Tier-3 Cities

The skills gap is particularly acute outside of major metropolitan areas.

Akshay Shekhar, CEO of Kazam, an EV charging platform, noted the difficulty in finding qualified personnel in smaller towns. While basic electricians are available in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, finding workers with specialized EV knowledge is a significant challenge.

Shekhar pointed out issues such as a lack of soft skills and failure to adhere to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), citing critical safety oversights like skipping proper earthing during installations.

Conclusion

The consensus among industry leaders is clear: for India's e-mobility revolution to succeed, the focus must shift immediately from solely planting charging poles to planting the seeds of technical knowledge in the workforce that will maintain them.