There is today a troubling disconnect between the numbers that dominate headlines and the reality that confronts people in their daily lives. The Indian economy, on the face of it, continues to post growth rates that impress global observers. Yet, beneath this sheen, the foundations are becoming worryingly fragile. We are witnessing growth without jobs, investment without confidence, and wealth without equity. This paradox is too stark to be ignored and requires more than incremental fixes. It demands a bold course correction and a set of visionary structural changes.Take the question of youth unemployment. The Periodic Labour Force Survey 2022–23 puts the unemployment rate among urban youth aged 15 to 29 at over 17%. Put simply, nearly one in five young Indians in our cities is out of work. That is staggering for a country that proclaims its demographic dividend as a unique global advantage.
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