India Out of Work: Rethinking India's Growth Story
Time's slipping away. India has barely fifteen years to capitalise on its youthful population before demographic shifts threaten to drag the country into poverty. Millions languish in joblessness, casual labour, or roles offering no stability. Santosh Mehrotra and Jajati K. Parida confront this unsettling reality head-on, examining why the nation must act now to build sustainable prosperity and self-reliance. The authors traverse India's economic landscape, from struggling rural communities to the precarious gig sector, exposing uncomfortable truths about what needs to change. They argue persuasively that reaching 9 per cent annual growth and creating 350 million jobs outside agriculture by 2055 isn't merely desirable—it's essential for national survival. This investigation dismantles several comforting myths. Jobless growth has left hundreds of millions behind. Poverty reduction figures mask deeper structural failures. Women remain strikingly absent from the workforce. Inequality widens relentlessly, whilst wages stagnate. Through careful research and hard data, the authors lay bare these systemic obstacles that trap citizens in constrained circumstances. Without decisive reform, India faces deepening fractures: widening wealth gaps, frozen living standards, and squandered possibilities. This book serves as both an urgent wake-up call and a practical guide, charting a course towards genuine, inclusive development. It's essential reading for anyone concerned about India's trajectory.
- Author: Santosh Mehrotra
- Publisher: Bloomsbury India
- Genre: Industry-Specific Business
- ISBN: 978-9361314872
- Pages: 498 pages