Jayan Jose Thomas is a Professor of Economics at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, where he has been employed since July 2010. His research deals with various issues related to development, mainly labour, industrialization and the macroeconomy. He teaches courses on macroeconomics, Indian economic development, international economics, and planning and development. Jayan is a former Member of the Kerala State Planning Board.

In this podcast, Jayan looks at the Indian economy today with an emphasis on employment, social spending, capital expenditures and higher education. Key highlights are:

In 2020, India accounted for 20.6% of the worldwide population of 15-to-29-year-olds. The rest of the world foresees a fortune in India's young population.Public expenditures on the social sectors are often considered ‘wasteful’. However, they actually constitute an investment for the future -- more so for a country with a predominantly young population.Inflated fears about the fiscal deficit and government debt will only be counterproductive in a country possessing vast reserves of untapped human and other resources as India does.

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