In a few weeks, a quarterly ritual will play out in India. The Government will release the first quarter’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth numbers with some chest-thumping about how India is among the fastest-growing economies in the world. Opposition parties will hold press conferences on the same day to counter such bombast with facts, rhetoric and nitpicking. But the real question is: what is the significance and impact of GDP growth for the common person? The answer: very little.
Growth and jobs
It is safe to say that the average person’s primary and perhaps sole concern about the economy is the income they can earn. It is well documented that for several years, the single most important demand of people in India is jobs, specifically, a high-quality formal sector job that ensures dignity of work, good income and job security. It is then apparent that GDP growth matters to the average Indian only if it can generate good quality jobs and incomes for them.
