The future of work in Asia: How can India create livelihoods in the digital age?

Every month, more than one million job seekers enter India’s labour market. However, despite being an investors’ darling, India’s employment generation track record has been disappointing. In the medium term, the revolt against globalisation threatens the access to Western export markets. Converging manufacturing costs work to discourage offshoring, while ever faster consumer product markets encourage the reshoring of production closer to the home market. The global window for export- and manufacturing- led development is, hence closing. Where will the jobs of tomorrow be created? Can India leapfrog into a service-led economy? Will the green economy keep its promise to create green jobs? Can the blue economy boost employment in coastal areas? How can the millions toiling in the care economy be better remunerated? Creating a human economy is more than a technical task. To move up the global value chain, major investment into human capital is needed. To generate the necessary resources for the provision of full capabilities, a social democratic compromise is needed which lays the social foundation for solidarity between all members of society