India will become an important destination for sourcing energy transition equipment in five years, a top executive at energy giant Shell said, adding that the country will also have the highest number of Shell employees anywhere in the world in five years as the businesses growth.
Shell has 11,000 employees in India spread across its fuel retail, gas, lubricant and technology businesses, with staff at the IT centre working to develop digital twins of the company's remote assets, and many others engaged in remote asset monitoring.
"In five years, India will be our largest employer," Huibert Vigeveno, director (renewables & downstream), Shell said in an interview
India will surpass the US, which has the highest number of Shell employees today, as the company's investments in the Indian energy sector grow and opportunities for global collaborations
"In five years, we will have grown a lot in greener electrons and greener molecules," he said. Shell is beginning to make inroads into green energy in India, acquiring renewables business as well as partnering with a variety of customers to help them in their decarbonization efforts. It acquired renewable energy platform Sprng Energy in a $1.55 billion deal last year. It also opened its first EV charging facility last year and aims to set up 10,000 fast charging points by 2030.
"India will have a lot to offer on sourcing of products and services, equipment and other activities, which we will utilize in the country, but also around the world," Vigeveno said.
