The Young in South Asia: Will they Transform Economic Possibilities for the World?
- Date in the past
- Wednesday, 10 December 2025, 14:00
- SAI 130.00.02
- Jayan Jose Thomas
Nearly one-third of the world's 15- to 29-year-olds live in South Asia, giving the region a potentially powerful role in global economic growth. Yet employment creation in the region has been sluggish, while deep social and economic inequalities persist. At the same time, geopolitical tensions among South Asian countries continue to impede the formation of regional economic alliances of the kind that enabled East Asia's rapid growth. In this paper, I argue that future economic and employment growth in South Asia must rely primarily on domestic markets rather than on external demand. Achieving this requires a virtuous cycle of job creation, rising incomes, and expanding domestic consumption. Realizing such a transformation, in turn, calls for far-reaching reforms in social, industrial, and macroeconomic policies across the region.
Address
SAI 130.00.02
Event Type
Lecture
About the Speaker
Jayan Jose Thomas is a Professor of Economics at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. His previous academic positions include a four-year tenure at the National University of Singapore. He has also served as a Member of the State Planning Board, Government of Kerala, from 2016 to 2021. His principal interests lie in the Indian economy, labour, industrialization, and international development, which he examines from a macroeconomic perspective. His research has appeared in leading development journals, such as World Development, Development and Change, and Economic and Political Weekly. He contributes regularly to media outlets and newspapers, particularly The Hindu.