Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said India’s strong economic growth is not creating enough jobs for young people. Speaking in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, he noted, "It is visible, but not enough." Naidu urged the government to work harder to meet rising expectations, while backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
N Chandrababu Naidu with commerce minister Piyush Goyal in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. PTI
One of Narendra Modi's most influential allies expressed concern that India's strong economic growth isn't giving young people enough opportunities, while saying the Prime Minister is best placed to address the problem.
India's economic growth is evident on the ground, but not enough to meet people's rising expectations, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said in an interview with Bloomberg News in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Asked whether growth of around 7 per cent was translating into improvements in people's lives, he said: "It is visible, but not enough."
"We are doing our best, but their aspirations are more," Naidu said, adding that the Indian government needs to communicate better and work harder to meet those expectations. He said India requires faster growth, better education and more opportunities for young people.
Naidu's comments come after months of youth-led protests have put Modi's government under sustained pressure, while a contentious review of voter rolls has given the opposition fresh momentum and a rare opportunity to unite.
He said meeting the expectations for better jobs, higher incomes and improved living standards would require the government to rethink how it responds to a younger and more demanding population. Naidu said the government needed to change the way it works to keep pace with rising expectations, while arguing that Modi was best placed to deliver. "If he cannot deliver this, nobody can."
Naidu's defence of Modi is key because his Telugu Desam Party's 16 lawmakers provide crucial support to the BJP-led coalition in Parliament, making him one of the Prime Minister's most influential allies.
He dismissed suggestions that the protests were a setback for Modi, saying the Prime Minister continued to enjoy the confidence of young people and that dissatisfaction among the youth was a challenge facing governments around the world.