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Race against time: India’s demographic dividend has a window of just 15 years or so before ageing sets in

India confronts a severe poly-crisis encompassing unsatisfactory economic growth, education, and employment. Since 2014, GDP growth has slowed, failing to create the required 12 million annual non-farm jobs. This fuels a profound jobs crisis, reflected in high youth unemployment, stagnant real wages, and rising suicides among casual laborers and students. Structural shifts away from agriculture have reversed, and an education crisis yields unemployable graduates. By 2040, India’s rapidly aging workforce will largely lack pension support. The authors critically assess the government's complacent approach to these escalating challenges.

LiveMint · Santosh Mehrotra, Jajati Parida · Jul 2, 2026 at 8:30 AM

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