8.7 Crore Indian Youth Have No Job, Education Or Training: NITI Aayog Report

There is a new crisis of career gap. India has over 8 crore young people between the ages 15-29 who are neither studying, employed or training, representing a significant challenge for the country's youth. NITI Aayog's report “Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047” is based on data from the 78th round of the National Sample Survey in 2021.

This group is among the priority groups identified in the report as the focus areas of the Indian skilling system. It states that young people in this group encounter challenges that may impede transitioning into sustainable employment and livelihoods. and into sustainable employment and livelihood.

What Does NEET Mean?

NEET is an acronym for “Not in Education, Employment or Training.” The term in the NITI Aayog report refers to those individuals aged 15 to 29 who are not in education, employment or training.

The report identifies this as a distinct segment alongside school students, tertiary-education students and the formal and informal workforce, such as school-going children, tertiary-education students, and persons engaged in formal and informal work.

Why Are Young People Being Left Behind?

NITI Aayog highlights some challenges in the current skilling ecosystem of the country. These include limited access to quality training, financial constraints, weak links between training and employment. and insufficient work exposure.

The report also identifies training programmes that do not match the needs of industry. Thus, even those who learn new skills may be unable to secure employment with the appropriate skills.

The financial hurdle may be especially hard if For NEET youth, financial constraints can make additional education or training difficult, particularly when they have no regular income. and may have already spent cash on their previous education.

NITI Aayog's Proposed Solution

The report recommends a wider approach to skilling beyond just short-term training programmes. It recommends subsidised training programmes, improved apprenticeships, increased linkages between education and employment, and skills to match local and emerging industries. It also recommends embed employability and entrepreneurship skills in schools from Grade 6 and to develop structured vocational pathways from Grade 9 onwards. The report also marks out specific industries like digital technology, green energy, healthcare and manufacturing as areas in which skilled manpower is likely to be required in the growth.

The goal 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047 is a major challenge for us

India's ambition to become a developed nation by 2047. by 2047 is largely reliant on the capacity to make citizens learn, earn and keep progressing their skills, says NITI Aayog. With the new estimate of 8.7 crore NEET youth, it has become clear that there is a huge challenge ahead of India which it must take up in order to ensure that its youth population is a better economic asset for the country.

 

Note: The estimate of 8.7 crore is based on the data from the survey carried out in 2021, but the NITI Aayog report was published in August 2026. So it is not a real time estimate of the Indian youth in 2026.