What Will the Indian Middle Class Get in 2025 in India?
The Indian middle class, often referred to as the backbone of the nation, has always been a crucial part of the economy and society. However, as we step into 2024, a pressing question looms: What will the Indian middle class get in 2024 in India? From memes highlighting their struggles to real-life battles with inflation, unemployment, and increasing inequality, the middle class faces both obstacles and opportunities. Let’s explore the landscape in detail, shedding light on the promises made, the delivery gaps, and the realities shaping their lives.
Table of Contents
Economic Challenges: Rising Costs and Stagnant Wages
In 2024, the cost of living continues to soar. October 2024 marked a peak in retail inflation, driven significantly by skyrocketing food prices. Vegetables like onions and tomatoes, staples of Indian households, have seen unrelenting price hikes. According to RBI data, food inflation hovered around 10.87%, exceeding the central bank’s tolerance levels.
While expenses have climbed, salaries remain stagnant. The average fresher salary has shown little to no growth over the years, and even IT employees saw only a modest 5-6% increase in 2024. Shockingly, over 90% of the workforce earns less than ₹25,000 monthly, leaving families grappling with diminishing savings and mounting loans. The question, what will the Indian middle class get in 2024 in India?, becomes ever more poignant as economic pressures mount.
Employment: The Lingering Shadow of Unemployment
Despite the government’s assurances of improving employment rates, ground realities paint a different picture. Official data might reflect a drop in unemployment rates from 8.7% in October to 8% in November, but youth unemployment remains alarmingly high at 10.2%. Many are forced into self-employment or precarious jobs like running small shops, driving e-rickshaws, or selling snacks—roles that barely qualify as stable employment.
Even those with advanced degrees like MBAs and PhDs are applying for low-paying positions, highlighting the growing disconnect between education and job availability. As memes humorously put it, “The middle class only has their struggles to laugh at.” For many, this humor masks deeper frustrations about the lack of meaningful economic opportunities.
GST and Taxation: A Double-Edged Sword
In 2024, the government achieved record-high GST collections, with April and October setting new benchmarks. However, this financial milestone comes at a cost to the middle class, who bear the brunt of complex tax structures. For instance, caramel popcorn attracts an 18% GST, while salted popcorn is taxed at 5%. Similarly, new cars incur a 28% GST, and even used cars attract an 18% levy.
These taxes, intended to simplify the system, have instead burdened ordinary citizens. As the meme world humorously suggests, “If creativity had a price, middle-class GST memes would top the charts.
Infrastructure Woes: Roads, Railways, and Beyond
The middle class’s frustration extends to public infrastructure. While the government boasts of building 27 kilometers of roads daily, the quality and accessibility of these roads remain questionable. Toll tax collections have tripled in the last five years, further straining household budgets.
Railways, a lifeline for many middle-class Indians, have seen a spate of accidents. In the first five months of 2024 alone, 18 train accidents occurred, with derailments being the leading cause. A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report highlighted mismanagement of railway safety funds, diverting resources to unrelated expenses like crockery and massage chairs instead of expanding safety measures like the Kavach system.
Economic Inequality: The Growing Divide
One of the most glaring issues of 2024 has been the deepening economic inequality. While the middle class struggles, billionaires continue to flourish. India now ranks third globally in the number of billionaires, with their collective wealth rising by over 42.1% this year alone. In stark contrast, India is also home to 129 million people living in extreme poverty, making the disparity between rich and poor more visible than ever.
Adani Group’s meteoric rise in various sectors exemplifies this disparity. From securing lucrative contracts in power supply, mining, and infrastructure development to expanding into the Middle East and Africa, their success often overshadows middle-class struggles. The group’s ventures into cement, ports, and even weapon manufacturing reflect opportunities that seem out of reach for ordinary citizens. This disparity prompts the middle class to question, what will the Indian middle class get in 2025 in India?
Social and Emotional Toll
Beyond financial challenges, the middle class faces emotional exhaustion. The relentless pursuit of upward mobility, coupled with increasing financial pressures, leaves little room for leisure or self-care. Parks without trees, polluted air, and collapsing bridges serve as grim reminders of a deteriorating quality of life.
Read Also: Youth Unemployment in India 2024
Yet, resilience shines through. The middle class has mastered the art of humor, creating memes to cope with their struggles. Social media is flooded with witty takes on everything from GST policies to inflation, providing a momentary escape from harsh realities.
Opportunities and Hopes
Amid the gloom, there are glimmers of hope. Government initiatives in renewable energy, digital transformation, and infrastructure development hold the potential to create jobs and spur economic growth. However, their benefits need to trickle down effectively to the middle class to make a meaningful impact.
As the new year unfolds, citizens hope for policies that prioritize affordability, employment, and better public services. Bridging the gap between promises and delivery will be crucial to answering the question, what will the Indian middle class get in 2025 in India?
Conclusion:
The year 2024 has been a roller-coaster ride for the Indian middle class. While economic challenges like inflation, unemployment, and taxation weigh them down, their resilience and humor keep them afloat. Addressing their concerns requires a concerted effort from policymakers to bridge the gap between promises and realities. As we move forward, the focus must remain on ensuring that the middle class—the backbone of India’s economy—is empowered to thrive, not just survive.
In the end, the question, what will the Indian middle class get in 2025 in India?, remains a clarion call for action and introspection. Let’s hope 2025 paves the way for a brighter and more equitable future for all.
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