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As technology changes the way people work, India's Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran has urged young people to look beyond traditional career choices and focus on skills that can remain valuable in the future.
Speaking on an ANI podcast, Nageswaran said many students still follow a fixed educational path, moving from graduation to higher studies or preparing for competitive examinations such as UPSC. He said students should also think about whether those qualifications will lead to sustainable employment in a changing economy.
#WATCH | India's Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), Dr V. Anantha Nageswaran, says, "... Other countries that have actually grown successful, place a lot of respect on trade skills. In this country, we give them little respect... You should equip yourself with trade skills. The… pic.twitter.com/wb1QqGW0zz
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2026
Drawing from advice he has given his own children and the children of friends, Nageswaran said India has historically given less importance to vocational professions such as welding, plumbing, carpentry and electrical work. He said countries including Switzerland, Germany, Japan, South Korea and China give greater respect to trade skills.
Nageswaran said the globalising world gave a certain advantage to software, computer science and MBA education, but that era is over. He added that the future belongs to trade skills, soft skills and professions where human judgement and presence remain essential.
To explain his point, he recalled a conversation with a young chef who felt left behind after comparing himself with friends working in other professions.
Nageswaran advised him not to measure his progress through social media posts and said he had learnt a skill that technology cannot easily replicate.
He added that careers such as counselling, caregiving and hospitality could become increasingly important in the years ahead.
The Chief Economic Adviser also linked employability to health. He said that while discussions often focus on whether India will become old before it becomes rich, a bigger concern is whether the country is becoming unhealthy before becoming prosperous.
Referring to findings from the National Family Health Survey, Nageswaran noted that obesity has increased across income groups despite improvements in several health indicators. He said sedentary lifestyles, limited physical activity and late eating habits are contributing to the trend.
According to Nageswaran, economic growth depends not only on technology and infrastructure but also on healthy and productive citizens. He argued that physical and mental well-being are essential for improving productivity, employability and incomes.
His message to young Indians was to focus on acquiring skills that technology cannot easily replace and to invest as much in personal health as in professional qualifications.
