I launched this blog by stating my belief that some sort of universal shift is underway. In other words, the world’s equilibrium has been disturbed. And according to the laws of physics, when equilibrium is disturbed, something gets set in motion. In this case, it’s Millennials. Literally.
Picture this:
Teams of motivated, insightful young people decide to solve the world’s biggest problems. They work individually to develop ideas. Then, they meet up in a city and board a train that has been outfitted with everything from sleeping and dining facilities to spaces equipped with presentation technology.
The train makes its way across the country for a week or two, during which the collaborators share ideas, enhance each other’s thinking, and reflect. Periodically, the train stops so they can visit local communities and engage with entrepreneurs and visionaries.
Finally, they arrive at a destination on the other side of the country and head back to their homes with a clearer vision of what they can do to improve their communities.
These journeys are starting to happen all over the world. In fact, two took place recently, one in India and one in the United States. Last month, I had the opportunity to speak with organizers from both, and I came away inspired and even more convinced that civilization (or, as Millennial author David Burstein calls it, the “human operating system”) is experiencing a massive re-boot.
My first conversation was with Ashutosh Kumar, the Executive Director of Jagriti Yatra, a transcontinental train journey that takes “hundreds of India’s highly motivated youth on a fifteen-day national odyssey and introduces them to the unsung heroes of India.”
The group’s first journey took place in 1997, which was the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. The purpose was to travel across the country and observe the changes that had taken place over the 50 years.
The focus changed in 2007, Ashutosh explained, because “the organizers realized that India had 704 million people below the age of 30, meaning it would soon become the world’s most youthful country.” (Even surpassing China!)
“They also realized that India was producing 10 million college graduates each year, but only adding about 3.5 million jobs.”
That meant millions of motivated, educated youth were entering the job market every year unable to find employment. So the Jagriti leaders decided to focus on empowering India’s youth to become entrepreneurs, hoping they would, in turn, invent new economic engines that would reduce the employment gap, create a sustainable middle class, and help end India’s crippling cycle of poverty.
Realizing that the majority of India’s youth are concentrated outside urban centers, the Jagriti team crafted a train route that would connect India’s college-educated Millennial youth with their peers around the country – especially those in the remotest areas – to learn about their real needs and challenges and to create business opportunities.
It’s working! Since 2007, over 200 new businesses have been launched! In addition, Jagriti Yatra’s success has caught the attention of international corporations like Google, which has led to plans for more journeys. In fact, the next one departs in December.
The future looks very bright for India, thanks to initiatives like Jagriti Yatra. If its youth are given access to education and technology, receive continued support from government and business leaders, and are empowered to identify solutions, they can create new engines of prosperity for their country.
That’s good news for everyone, because with 700+ million youth actively working to create a new middle class, the momentum of India will extend far beyond its borders. The result? India’s Millennials can play a leading role in transforming the global economy, and more importantly, the world itself.
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