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The jobs gap in India’s growth story

India needs to move its workforce from low to high-value jobs. Only through high-productivity jobs can India create widespread prosperity

43 per cent of the labour force is still employed in agriculture and 79 per cent of the non-agri labour force is engaged in informal enterprises – sectors where value added is miniscule. (Illustration: C R Sasikumar)

5 min read Oct 29, 2026 06:28 AM IST First published on: Oct 28, 2026 at 03:12 PM IST

This year, five countries — Jordan, Micronesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam — have moved up to the upper-middle income category as per the World Bank. Of these, Vietnam’s case is instructive. In 2009, it crossed the threshold for lower-middle income status, meaning it took the country 16 years to move up the income classification. India, which entered the lower-middle income group in 2007, remains stuck in that category, 19 years later.…