India's Hidden Crisis: 9.2 Crore Youth Neither Working Nor Training, NITI Aayog Warns

India faces a significant economic challenge with an estimated 9.2 crore (92 million) young people aged 15-29 who are 'NEET' – neither in employment, education, nor training – according to recent NITI Aayog insights and the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey data. This alarming figure underscores a deeper job quality crisis, even as official reports tout declining unemployment rate and growing employment numbers. A new report, 'Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047,' released this August, directly addresses the issue, highlighting millions of graduates struggling to find suitable work, with nearly 40% of 25-year-old graduates currently jobless. The problem isn't just about the quantity of jobs, but their quality. While the Indian workforce expanded to approximately 61 crore by December 2025, a large portion of new employment, particularly for women, has been in low-paying agricultural work or self-employment with stagnant earnings. This trend risks turning India's much-lauded 'demographic dividend' – the economic benefit from a large young population – into a 'demographic liability.' The NITI Aayog report points to high training costs and a lack of proper placement support as major hurdles, along with a significant 'skill mismatch' between what industries need and what job-seekers offer. The government has numerous initiatives, including the Skill India Mission, National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), and the new PM-SETU scheme for ITI upgrades, aimed at bridging this gap. However, the NITI Aayog findings suggest these efforts need sharper focus, particularly in integrating skill development earlier in education and providing financial support for training. As India pushes towards its 'Viksit Bharat@2047' vision, effectively empowering this vast youth population will be critical to prevent a potential social and economic strain from undermining national growth ambitions.