India is poised to be the world’s youngest country by 2020 with an average age of 29 years. Currently, a third of the population is under 15, more than half under 24 and every third person in a city is between 15 and 32. Thus, India is at the peak of its demographic dividend. This is not only expected to be the largest source of labour in the world, but also drive demand for products and services, thereby fuelling the overall economic growth of the country. However, to realise the full potential of its demographic dividend India will have to focus on social sectors such as education and healthcare.
The report profiles the ‘social infrastructure’ encompassing the economic and demographic indicators in education and healthcare in North India and details the government and private sector initiatives towards these two sectors. It is brought out that along with education and skill development, focus on health is important to ensure a healthy and productive workforce.
The CII-KPMG report was released at the 3rd Edition of ‘Invest North 2014’ organized by CII on 24-25 July 2014 at New Delhi.