Over eight decades of Independence, with continuous hard work, reforms and revolutions, India has gradually emerged out of its hard times. We all know how easily Britishers were able to colonise centuries ago, and how convenient it was to loot the country. They simply pushed the Indians into extreme poverty.
Today, the same India has surpassed Britain in nominal GDP (in 2026 with a gap of more than one trillion dollars). Over generations, Indians have proved themselves at national and international levels. This hard work was the foundation which resulted in the Indian economy expanding to several trillion dollars and becoming one of the world’s most important markets.
Today, it is not wrong to say that Indians really proved what no one ever thought. For decades, the ability of manufacturing in India was questioned. But defying that perspective, the “Make in India” concept is largely active and has a major effect on global demand and supply.
Despite this massive success, the global recognition and the international ties, does it really matter to Indians? Indeed, a better GDP or growth rate doesn’t automatically make every household richer. Our perception believes something so utopian that the reality is viewed as absurd. We perceive our country in a way so demeaning, we fail to realise the progress we have made.
The numbers always do not show the ground reality which results in a “perception gap”. People perceive the growth in a way which is either contrary or not similar to the picture showed by statistics. This gap is developed when sections of society differ from each other on the basis of economic welfare, financial growth, purchasing power, consumption level, etc. Apart from these, one of the most important factors which is often overlooked is the generation.
The older generation
The older generation has witnessed the longest span of the nation’s growth so far. Having grown up in poverty and hardship, it has experienced a difficult time.
For this generation, India’s economic growth is a tangible measure of transformation. Their perception of the Indian economy is shaped by the nation’s transformation that they have personally experienced.
The adults
The environment one grows up in influences and thus shapes what they believe in. The Millennial generation hold a very different perspective when asked if India’s economy really is incompetent. Many of them believe that the country has rapidly grown out of difficulties and is becoming a global superpower, something it certainly is moving toward.
The 1991 liberalisation changed India’s integration in international market. It opened the doors of employment, global opportunities, greater purchasing power. Since then, many millennials hold onto the fact that the nation has certainly grown. The previous generation laid the foundation on which today’s generation builds a better future.
The youth
It is difficult to deny that a country’s power lies in the hands of the youth. They play a crucial role in determining the fate of the nation. In case of India, the youth have an entirely different view of the country. Raised in a period of technological and AI growth, their perception is shaped by their aspirations.
The growing usage of social media has a deep influence. Earlier generations used to compare India with its past only. Today’s youth is comparing India with other nations. Is it wrong? Yes and no.
On one hand, comparison leads to greater innovations, creativity and faster growth of the nation. It assists the youth in becoming independent. On the other hand, though, constant comparison causes people to overlook the harsh circumstances their country has grown out of to reach its current position. The effect of this influence varies from person to person. What the previous generations created is now being improved by the youth.
Who is correct?
The question arises here—who is correct? It depends. No generation or statistic is completely wrong or completely right. Each generation’s perception has its own validity and can’t be denied. But it certainly can be questioned.
The way forward is to examine and understand what shapes the gap between economic statistics and economic perception, particularly in context of generational change.
Nairit Goel is a student of Vivek High School, Chandigarh. Views are personal.
Also read: The algorithm knows what you want before you do