A Tale of Two Indias

One of India’s great strengths, however, is that about half of its population is younger than 25. By 2020, experts predict, India will account for 12 percent of the world’s college graduates. 

Aided by these young workers, India’s economy is expected to grow quickly. That makes young people like Anirudh feel optimistic.  

For inspiration, he looks to his own family, which has moved up the economic ladder in just one generation. Anirudh’s father, the son of farmers, grew up in a village of 100 people. As a child, he walked two miles to school and did farm chores when he arrived home. 

He got ahead by studying hard and eventually going to college to become an accountant. Having a reliable profession enabled him to move his family to a nice area and send his children to a private school where classes are taught in English. That’s a huge advantage in India because most business is conducted in English there, and speaking it fluently gives any young person a leg up.

One of India’s great strengths, however, is that about half of its population is younger than 25. Experts predict that by 2020, India will account for 12 percent of the world’s college graduates.

Aided by these young workers, India’s economy is expected to grow quickly. That makes young people like Anirudh feel optimistic.

For inspiration, he looks to his own family. His family has moved up the economic ladder in just one generation. Anirudh’s father is the son of farmers. He grew up in a village of 100 people. As a child, he walked two miles to school and did farm chores when he arrived home.

He got ahead by studying hard. He eventually went to college to become an accountant. Having a reliable profession enabled him to move his family to a nice area and send his children to a private school where classes are taught in English. That is a huge advantage in India. Most business is conducted in English there, and speaking it fluently gives any young person a leg up.

The family is able to afford a few  extravagances, like the hired car that takes Anirudh to school. Some of those luxuries are helping Anirudh succeed. For example, he uses his smartphone to watch physics tutorials on YouTube. 

Anirudh hopes to become an accountant like his father. That’s partly because math is his favorite subject, but he also sees the career as a surefire way to prosper.   

“I want to [be] somebody who is well respected,” he says. “I want to earn good money. I want to do good for others.”

The family is able to afford a few extravagances. One example is the hired car that takes Anirudh to school. Some of those luxuries are helping Anirudh succeed. For instance, he uses his smartphone to watch physics tutorials on YouTube.

Anirudh hopes to become an accountant like his father. That is partly because math is his favorite subject. He also sees the career as a surefire way to prosper.

“I want to [be] somebody who is well respected,” he says. “I want to earn good money. I want to do good for others.”

On the other side of the city, Sushmita lives a very different life. She wakes at 6 a.m. to clean the house before walking to the government school she attends. There are 57 students in her class. Classes are in Hindi, one of India’s many languages. She doesn’t own a cell phone, much less a computer. 

Sushmita’s father, a carpenter, can go months between jobs. Her mother works long hours as a maid. When Sushmita gets home from school, she must make the family’s dinner, plus do her homework. 

She dreams of being a teacher but faces tough odds. Many Indian colleges are very selective, and Sushmita will be competing against better-prepared students. 

“India is a country where there are no equal opportunities,” she says. “The rich can find their way around by paying money. Others cannot find their way into the same opportunities because they don’t have money.”

On the other side of the city, Sushmita lives a very different life. She wakes at 6 a.m. to clean the house. Then she walks to the government school she attends. There are 57 students in her class. Classes are in Hindi, one of India’s many languages. She does not own a cell phone, much less a computer.

Sushmita’s father is a carpenter. He can go months between jobs. Her mother works long hours as a maid. When Sushmita gets home from school, she must make the family’s dinner and do her homework.

She dreams of being a teacher but faces tough odds. Many Indian colleges are very selective. Sushmita will be competing against better-prepared students.

“India is a country where there are no equal opportunities,” she says. “The rich can find their way around by paying money. Others cannot find their way into the same opportunities because they don’t have money.”

Still, Sushmita knows she has it easier than her parents did when they were growing up. 

“They were pushed into working from a very early age,” Sushmita says. She feels lucky her parents intend to let her finish school. 

Steps like that make Anubhav Gupta, the India expert, hopeful about where the country is headed.

“The problems it faces seem vast, but so are its ambitions,” he says. “I’m optimistic because India has a very hungry and forward-looking population, and they’re going to keep pressing the government for progress.” 

Additional reporting by Kai Schultz

Still, Sushmita knows she has it easier than her parents did when they were growing up.

“They were pushed into working from a very early age,” Sushmita says. She feels lucky her parents plan to let her finish school.

Steps like that make India expert Anubhav Gupta feel hopeful about where the country is headed.

“The problems it faces seem vast, but so are its ambitions,” he says. “I’m optimistic because India has a very hungry and forward-looking population, and they’re going to keep pressing the government for progress.”

Additional reporting by Kai Schultz