India’s Skills Famine

Entrepreneurship in India has captured the attention of onlookers around the world. But despite many success stories, the world’s second most populated nation has run into a big challenge – a shortage of skilled workers. Education opportunities are limited, with only 10 percent of Indians pursuing higher education and 30 percent of the population labeled as illiterate. Yet “India’s impressive economic performance has made the problem seem less urgent than it actually is, and allowed the government to defer difficult choices,” writes James Surowiecki for “The New Yorker.” During the 1970s, India’s supply of educated workers seemed to exceed demand, leading to emigration and an introduction for India’s global reputation. Yet Surowiecki also points out that in recent years, the nations that have invested substantially in education at all levels, like Ireland, Taiwan and South Korea, enjoy strong economies that can sustain growth. India cannot expect to enjoy prosperity well into the future without reducing poverty and improving education. – YaleGlobal