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Can Aspiration Meet Reality? What Indian Youth Want
9 September 2026
ABOUT THIS Perspective
India’s young population has big aspirations, but limited good jobs, skills gaps and informal employment threaten its demographic dividend. Sabina Dewan examines what Indian youth want—and what reality offers.
India has the largest youth population in the world, and there is much talk about this being a demographic dividend. But that dividend, Sabina Dewan argues, depends on whether young people can find quality work and whether they have the education and skills needed to navigate a changing labour market.
For many, the challenge is not a lack of ambition. It is finding work that offers stability, fair pay and the possibility of moving ahead. Climate change, trade and technology shifts, and the energy transition are adding new layers to these long-standing challenges.
Read the full article to learn how young people are navigating the transition into work, what shapes their choices, and what India needs to do to create better pathways to employment.
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