Skilling India’s Demographic Dividend For Inclusive Growth

With support from Generation India’s training program, co-funded by the World Bank, youth can transition to stable jobs, gaining financial independence.

Backed by the World Bank, Generation India’s Project AMBER has trained nearly 24,000 youth—65 per cent of whom found jobs within three months—demonstrating a proven model for economic mobility.

With continued World Bank support, Generation India is scaling its impact to 100,000 youth nationwide, aligning skilling and employment efforts with India’s vision for inclusive and sustainable economic development.

Positive economic mobility can truly change lives — it opens doors to better opportunities, greater stability, and a brighter future. The story of Pritam, who grew up as an only child in a small village just a few hours from Kolkata, is a powerful example. His father was a farmer, and money was scarce. In recent years, his father’s income had become especially limited due to poor farming conditions.

Pritam joined the customer care program run by Generation India, an employment non-profit, in 2023. After the program, he secured a job at mPokket, a financial services business. The role offers stable hours, health insurance, sick days, and regular breaks. With a better income, Pritam is able to comfortably send money home, cover his own living expenses, and put money away to build a house where he and his parents can live.

Millions of people around the world struggle to make ends meet, and even more to save money that can transform their lives and those of their families. The World Bank has noted that “global poverty reduction has slowed to a near standstill, with 2020-2030 set to be a lost decade.” Too often, good-paying jobs – the foundation for income stability and long-term well-being – lie out of reach.

Generation is a global non-profit network that is working to change this reality for Pritam and others like him. They train, place, and support people into life-changing careers across 17 countries. In India, Generation’s work has scaled rapidly with catalytic support from the World Bank, among others.

India stands at a pivotal moment in its demographic journey. With millions of young people currently outside formal education and employment, there lies a tremendous opportunity to bring them into the economic mainstream. With the right investments in skilling, education, and employment pathways, India can transform this demographic wave into a powerful engine for inclusive growth and innovation.

The government of India has invested billions of dollars into short-term skilling programs over the last decade, aiming to equip youth with market-relevant skills and address the unemployment challenge. In 2021, to improve employment and income outcomes, the Government of India collaborated with Generation India to pilot Project AMBER (Accelerated Mission for Better Employment and Retention).