Wanted: 2 Million Workers
Construction, India’s second largest employer by industry, employs about 50 million workers but could additionally absorb another 40 million workers, according to estimates shared by the Construction Skill Development Council of India (CSDCI) in 2023. Within this, citing trade estimates, Rahul Bahl, Managing Director, Krishna Buildestates, says the shortage of trained, skilled workers is currently about 2 million, and is expected to rise to 5 million by 2030.
Not only is the construction industry struggling to find workers but construction labour productivity in India significantly trails global benchmarks. Estimates suggest that worker productivity in India is barely 20-30 per cent of levels in high income OECD countries. And according to Dr Raj Reddy Myakala, Director, National Academy of Construction (NAC), “Insufficient formal skilling is largely to blame for this gap.”