Creating the Right Jobs for a Viksit Bharat

Context: With the Union Budget 2025 presented, India must focus on long-term job creation and real wage growth rather than short-term demand boosts.

Key types of jobs needed for India’s economic future

Climate-Resilient Jobs

Economic Impact of Climate Change

• India ranked 7th most affected by climate change (2019).
• Loss of $159 billion in 2021 due to climate-related damages.
• Adaptation costs projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030 (RBI estimate).

Climate-Resilient Job Creation Strategies

• State-subsidised e-rickshaws for last-mile mobility: 3-4 e-rickshaws per village in 6,00,000 villages → Creates 2 million jobs.
  • Women-focused employment initiative.
• Boosting private investment in compressed biogas plants: Only 82 plants set up vs. 5,000 target (FY23-24) → Urgent need for expansion.
• Accelerating 500 GW non-fossil energy target: Creates over 1 million jobs.
  • Decentralised and rooftop solar initiatives → 7x more labour-intensive than utility-scale solar (CEEW study).

AI-Resilient Jobs

AI Impact on Job Market

50% automation adoption in India expected in the next 10 years (McKinsey Global Institute).

• IT and business services contribute 70%+ of India’s services exports (Economic Survey 2021) but face AI disruption.
• Examples of AI replacing jobs:
  • metaGPT simulating software companies.
  • AI writing 25% of Google’s code.
  • Job losses due to AI-driven chatbots in India.

AI-Resilient Job Creation Strategies

• Education & healthcare expansion: Plugging millions of vacancies for healthcare professionals and teachers.
• Strengthening National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM): Facilitates global & urban market linkages for rural artisans, farmers, and craftsmen.

Aspiration-Centric Jobs

Challenges for Rural Youth Employment

Despite rising startup engagement, rural youth face low confidence due to:

• Poor foundational education (including English proficiency).
• Lack of resources in upbringing.
• Leads to dependency on government jobs & coaching culture for exam preparation.
• Non-farm job growth is slow, requiring off-farm employment solutions.

Strategies for Aspiration-Centric Job Creation

• Integrated Packhouses: Build 70,000 packhouses to plug the 95%+ infrastructure gap.
  • Creates over 2 million jobs in food processing & logistics.
• Tech-enabled agri-input manufacturing: Boosts high-import agricultural sectors.
• Rebranding rural employment through digital media & social media:
  • Makes off-farm jobs aspirational for rural youth.
• National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds: Reduce India’s 57% import dependence on edible oils to pre-WTO levels.
  • Revitalise local oilseed processing (soybean, sunflower, cold-pressed oils).
• Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) for large-scale rural businesses: Addresses youth frustrations over exam leaks & limited recruitment.

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