Project Surya to equip women and youth in Anakapalli with industry-relevant solar and renewable-energy skills
ANAKAPALLLI. Andhra Pradesh (India CSR): ReNew, India’s leading renewable energy company, and the District Administration of Anakapalli on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement Project Surya, a skill development and livelihood enhancement programme by ReNew aimed at increasing women’s participation in India’s growing clean-energy workforce.
Under the pilot phase of the three-year partnership, 300 candidates, particularly women and youth from Anakapalli district, will be trained in industry-relevant skills related to solar energy, operations and maintenance, and renewable-energy technologies. The programme is designed to enhance employability and enable participants to access livelihood opportunities in the expanding clean-energy sector.
Under the partnership, ReNew will develop and deliver the training programme, provide qualified trainers, learning materials and assessments, and undertake candidate screening and training. The District Administration will support candidate mobilisation and provide suitable training infrastructure and basic amenities for the programme.
The initiative comes at a time when Andhra Pradesh is emerging as an important hub for clean-energy and renewable-energy manufacturing. ReNew is currently establishing a 6.5 GW solar ingot and wafer manufacturing facility in Anakapalli district with an investment of INR 4,200 crore, strengthening the state’s renewable-energy manufacturing ecosystem.
The facility is part of ReNew’s broader INR ~82000 crore investments in the state announced last year, which also includes setting up one of India’s largest hybrid renewable energy projects (2.8 GW) in a single location in Anantapur district. These projects are expected to create over 3,600 direct and indirect jobs in Andhra Pradesh.
ReNew has been present in Andhra Pradesh since 2015, when it commissioned its first 24 MW wind project at Kalyandurg. Since then, the company has expanded across wind, solar, and hybrid projects in the state. ReNew currently operates 717 MW of wind and 60 MW of solar capacity in Andhra Pradesh.
ReNew’s work goes beyond energy projects in AP, with CSR initiatives transforming communities across Anantapur, Kurnool, Markapuram, Ongle and Gooty districts. Over the past decade, the company has electrified 10 rural government schools and set up 50 smart classrooms in five villages, strengthening digital learning for students. To improve sanitation, toilet blocks have been built in schools, while 12 villages now benefit from RO drinking water plants serving over 10,000 people. More than 440 solar-powered street lights illuminate communities, enhancing safety and enabling evening economic activity.
Project Surya builds on ReNew’s existing work to enable women from traditional and lower-income livelihoods to participate in India’s clean-energy transition. The programme was originally launched in Gujarat in 2022 in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) to train women salt-pan workers as solar technicians. ReNew has since expanded the initiative to other communities, including women from coal-mining communities in Dhanbad. As of FY2025-26, Project Surya had trained 728 women as solar technicians.
Sharing her thoughts at the signing, Vijaya Krishnan, District Collector & Magistrate, Anakapalli, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be present on the occasion of signing the MOU with Renew for commencement of a skill training programme for the youth of Anakapalli District, with a special focus on empowering women.”
“This initiative is an important step towards creating a skilled and employable workforce within the district. Skill development is not merely about providing training; it is about creating opportunities for sustainable employment, economic independence and a better future for our youth.”
Vaishali Nigam Sinha, ReNew’s co-founder and Chairperson of ReNew Foundation, said, “India’s clean-energy transition will create opportunities not only through new infrastructure and manufacturing, but also through the skills and livelihoods that emerge around this ecosystem. Project Surya is our effort to ensure that women are able to participate meaningfully in this transition. Through our partnership with the Anakapalli District Administration, we hope to equip young people, particularly women, with relevant skills and create pathways towards greater economic opportunity in the clean-energy sector.”
The MoU will remain in effect for three years, with ReNew and the District Administration working together on training, candidate mobilisation and programme implementation.
