Why are so many young Indians jobless?

India’s youth unemployment crisis is reaching alarming levels, with nearly 40% of young people aged 15 to 25 jobless despite having the world’s largest youth population—367 million. In this episode of What in the World, BBC speaks with three young Indians—Karmanya from Delhi, Badra from Kerala, and Anshali from Telangana—whose personal stories reveal a system under strain: fierce competition for limited jobs, a growing mismatch between academic training and industry needs, and the rising pressure to pursue advanced degrees even when they don’t guarantee employment. The arrival of AI is compounding the problem, automating entry-level roles in IT and customer service while simultaneously demanding new AI literacy from job seekers. Yet, the graduates also point to a deeper cultural issue: a societal obsession with academic credentials over practical experience, driven by family expectations and the stigma around manual labor. Despite the exhaustion and uncertainty, they hold onto hope—believing that resilience, adaptability, and mental well-being are as crucial as qualifications in navigating this new world of work.