The Future of the Indian Consumer- part 2

A lot has changed in the arena of careers, the meaning and nature of work, and aspirations over the last few years. The Covid crisis has accelerated many aspects of these changes as well as added some new dimensions. Taken together, the future of this space is likely to move in interesting new directions.

In a developing country, the engine that propels society is aspiration. The desire for upward mobility, economic and social is what drives individuals towards new ideas and change. if in the past, aspirations in India were defined in narrow specific terms, today these are being defined much more broadly. The desire is to be more than one’s education and occupation. The improvement of the self is an on-going project and has many dimensions to it. Beginning with shaping and sculpting the body, it embraces the development of personality, the homing of new skills and the nurturing of any in-born talent that an individual might have. Newer kind of careers are increasingly being explored as the limits of more conventional options become more apparent. The digital is awash with self-help and career advice, and there is a great desire on part of the young to try and maximise every bit of potential that they see in themselves. 

There is also a new-found confidence in the ability to learn on one’s own. This spans across age and life-stage. The ability to augment one’s skills by exploring different facets of knowledge digitally is beginning to find expression, particularly among those with lower access to quality education as well those uncomfortable with the teaching methods used by conventional education. This shift toward a more fluid, inter-disciplinary and curiosity-led learning is likely to accelerate in the future. The current mental model of education with its focus on rigidly divided subject streams and top-down dissemination of knowledge is likely to give way to a more flexible student-led model, where learning takes place in a much more individualised fashion.

When it comes to careers and work, there are several strands of change that can be expected. For a significant section of society, the need for stability and certainty will continue to act as primary motivators- the government will not lose its lustre any time soon. But simultaneously there is likely to be a much greater openness to careers considered unconventional. In particular, the desire to embrace occupations that combine one’s personal interest with one’s livelihood are likely to become even more attractive.

A move towards entrepreneurship is the other big shift that we are likely to see. The issues of employability that dog young graduates along with the growing attractiveness of creating one’s own future on the strengths of one’s ideas is likely to propel a desire to start off on one’s own. The enabling conditions, in terms of access to markets and funding as well exposure to a larger world, are falling in place and this should act as a strong catalyst. 

So, what can expect in the post-Covid world? While offices will not disappear, their role is likely to change. Instead of being a permanent place to go to routinely, it will morph into a more specialised hub for certain kind of activities. This has already been happening in certain sectors, but this phenomenon is likely to become the norm rather than the exception. Working from home will prod more people into exploring a wider cross-section of projects. The move away from an existence centred around going to the office accompanied by a desire to explore different kind of work opportunities will have some interesting implications.

The gig economy will get a boost, but more significantly, the self-imagination of working in one sector or narrow specialisation might also begin to change. It will be possibly to simultaneously and sequentially pursue more than one kind of career, and this will have downstream implications on education also. The ability to broadcast oneself and build an audience through one’s talents, skills or abilities will allow for a completely new set of professions to come into being. Those in employment sector will look to a much wider set of needs being satisfied through work. Organisations will need to take much greater note of the personal emotional needs and beliefs of their employees. 

The education sector will evolve even further in terms of pedagogy and in terms of content. The enforced use of video has brought to light both its advantages and limitations. We can look forward to a technology assisted mode of teaching as we move forward. Cross-country learning opportunities will become much easier, and classrooms interaction will evolve from being mere lectures into a more dynamic and interactive form of engagement. The mental model of learning taking place only in one concentrated phase of life will start getting dismantled. In a rapidly transforming world, continuing education will increasingly become the norm. The Covid experience has seeded the desire as well as demonstrated the viability of learning continuously.

The post-Covid future will see an unshackling of some pent-up needs as also a transformative change in the arena of education and work. The pandemic has been a shock to the system; in this arena, at least this is likely to trigger changes that have so far been slow in coming, but those that are vital to move into the next stage of the future.

(This is a version of an article that has appeared previously in Mint)