Population Dividend
Population dividend, or demographic dividend as it is called when speaking of economic growth is a term that denotes the potential growth which a country can exploit when a larger part of its population is in the working-age group (15-64 years) rather than dependents (children and the old age). India is among such countries, with 65% of its population being below 35 years old.

Factors Influencing India’s Population Dividend in Coming Years .

1. Education and Skill Development
– The workforce must be equipped with the skills the market needs, which can only come from quality education and vocational training.

2. Job Creation

– India has to create a lot of job opportunities, especially in manufacturing, services, and technology sectors, to accommodate the young population. If not enough job growth, the demographic dividend could become a demographic liability.

3. Healthcare A healthy workforce is pivotal to sustained productivity. The lack of healthcare infrastructure and the newly emerging lifestyle diseases could be the main reasons why such productivity will not be achieved by the working-age population.

4. Gender Inclusion
– The inclusion of women in the workforce is a strong factor in maximizing the demographic dividend. The percent of women who are a part of the workforce in India, at the moment, is really small, which is one of the main economy-constrainers.

5. Regional Disparities – The northern Indian states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are seeing a youth surge after enjoying decades of fertility decline and increasing female literacy. On the other hand, the southern states with Kerala and Tamil Nadu are struggling due to the aging population. Such a situation would mean that only a part of this demographic would be representative of a region and, at the same time, may create disparities in the development of different areas of the country.

6. Automation and Technology
The rise of technology innovation, in particular, the expansion of the industry of automation, is expected to result in the reduction of low-skilled jobs. The only way India could ensure that its workforce is ready for this is by investing in the upskilling of its workforce for the upcoming industries.

Population dividends in India are noteworthy concepts of realization. They present a wonderful chance for economic growth. A timely and proper response to this valuable opportunity would require strategic actions in the fields of education, healthcare, job creation, and gender inclusion. If this would not be realized, the potential benefit would be lost and socio-economic challenges would emerge.