India's Green Economy Could Create 48 Million Jobs by 2047

India is building an economic revolution that could create more jobs than the populations of entire countries, all while healing the planet.

By 2047, the country's green economy could generate 48 million full-time jobs, unlock $1.1 trillion in market value, and attract $4.1 trillion in investments, according to a new report from the Council on Energy, Environment and Water. These aren't distant possibilities but opportunities already taking root across 36 emerging green industries.

Neha Jain saw those opportunities literally washing up on shore. The former Google employee launched Zerocircle in 2019, turning seaweed into biodegradable plastic alternatives while supporting women-led farming cooperatives in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. Her industry alone could become a $2.2 billion market by 2047.

Meanwhile, Dr. Himansha Singh co-founded Craste to transform agricultural waste into premium sustainable packaging. Her company sources crop residue directly from farmers, preventing stubble burning while creating an alternative to wood-based materials that saves trees and increases farm incomes.

The sustainable packaging sector could create 549,600 jobs by 2047. But packaging is just one piece of India's expanding green economy, which includes biofuels, bio-fertilizers, renewable energy, and circular production models that reimagine how materials flow through society.

"The green economy is a much broader opportunity than we think," explains Abhishek Jain, Director of Green Economy at CEEW. "It's not just about replacing fossil fuels, but about rethinking the materials we use and the way we design products and services."

The Ripple Effect

India's bioeconomy has grown sixteen-fold over the past decade, touching both high-tech industries and grassroots farmer organizations. The transformation spans urban manufacturing hubs and rural communities, creating sustainable livelihoods across the country's economic spectrum.

These entrepreneurs aren't just building businesses but proving that environmental solutions and economic growth reinforce each other. Seaweed cultivation supports coastal communities. Agricultural waste processing prevents air pollution while paying farmers. Sustainable packaging reduces plastic waste while employing hundreds of thousands.

The numbers tell a story of possibilities, but the real transformation lives in the choices of innovators willing to experiment with new materials and business models. Their work directly supports India's pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2070, made at the 2021 COP26 summit.

Making this economic frontier real requires green entrepreneurs, green innovation, and green capital working together. The 36 value chains identified represent just the beginning, with more opportunities emerging as technology advances and markets mature.

India's green revolution proves that the future economy doesn't require choosing between prosperity and planetary health.