The next generation

The cross over point is arriving soon, at some point early in 2021. This is when India becomes the world’s most populous country, according to population projections produced by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, of the United Nations.

As of 2015, those in the cohort aged 25-29 years in China were the last generation to be more numerous than their Indian equivalents. The largest numbers of young people in the world now live in India. From the same 2015 figures, of the total of just over 3.1 billion of people under 25 years old, nearly 619 million were Indian, or just under 20%. The equivalent population in China totalled 422 million.

The numbers are hard to make sense of, and give meaning to. What does it “mean” that one in every five young person in the world is Indian?

I think that, as the largest national group of young people, their decisions will play a major role in the future of our planet. The next generation of Indians will influence how mankind reacts to such global issues as climate change. Given the interconnectedness of the digital world we live in, they will have increasing influence on culture and media, and maybe even the English language that we speak.

The challenge for people like me is to how to reach out to the next generation of young Indians. For that’s what my senior managers want people like me and my staff to do. In all our activities, we include elements that allow us to interact with younger Indians.

I’ve just been talking to my team about our plans for the coming year and my British Council colleague put the challenge in stark terms. Through their various programmes, the British Council hope to reach 100 million young Indians in the next five years. That’s an ambitious target for library membership, attendees at their cultural events, number of exams, and all the other activities they carry out. While I can’t interact with all 619 million young Indians, I can focus on the high achievers and those who are likely to be the future leaders.

Before meeting other people, it is useful to have some idea of what’s important to them, and what may be their interests and aspirations. Last year we conducted a series of focus groups of young Indians across the country to get some qualitative insights. The findings have tallied with what I have experienced of younger people that I have met in Kolkata, and in my visits to universities and other educational institutions that I’ve visited in the East and North-East India.

Our research told us that the brightest young Indians are “Tech-savvy” and IT literate. That was brought home to me soon after my arrival when I talked to a group of students about to travel to Britain to take up their places at one of our top universities. I and some alumni talked to them about the great opportunities in front of them.

At the end of the event when we were chatting informally, I asked the students how useful the event had been. Casually, as only a 20-something can, one of them told me politely that yes, I and other speakers had only confirmed what they’d learnt from a WhatsApp group of students already at the university.

Our research told us a high priority for many was getting a job, or setting up a company and being an innovative entrepreneur.

I spoke to a group of students at a medical training hospital recently. In the questions & answers at the end of my talk, they asked a series of very precise questions about how they could get further medical training in Britain. When I asked about their interest, one of the teaching staff told me that such training could significantly improve their prospects of getting a good job.

Colleagues across India have run a competition called Tech Rocketship Awards to find and celebrate some of India’s best and brightest talent in technology start-ups. The response was fantastic: 600 applied, and we organised pitching events in six Indian cities. As a result, 10 start-ups visited Britain earlier this year.

Our research told us that young people are interested in Britain because the UK offers great educational opportunities and encourages skills building. They are also interested in our culture – easily accessible to Indians because of the common English language and shared history. In my encounters with young people, they ask about Brexit, how it will affect our relations with India, and their chances of studying in Britain or getting a visa.

What has struck me is how carefully they listen to what I say, and pick up on possible weaknesses in my argument. Two weeks ago, I was talking about the world in 2027, and how all countries needed to work together, and be ready to negotiate agreements to solve complex problems like climate change. One questioner noted my comments, and asked me whether a referendum was a good way of making decisions. I gave him a long and careful answer.

Our challenge to engage the next generation of Indians is an important task. We need to show them that we can work together to resolve common issues, and that they can benefit from studying in our country. Next week, I will sit on an interview panel of applicants for Chevening awards, our flagship scholarship programme. I hope to meet some of the brightest and best minds from my part of India.