Gen Z defined

In recent months, our nation has been exposed- in fact, overexposed to the term Gen Z, pronounced Zee.

In simple terms, these are the young Indians, who the nation believes will take it forward. Born between 1997–2012 this is a broad chunk of humans aged 14 years to 29 years.

With approximately 370 million people, the group makes up about 38% of the country’s total population and accounts for nearly one in three eligible voters. From teens to people in their thirties. They are supposed to be the broad shoulders that would take the major share of work (aka burden), responsibility and progress in terms of higher GDP. They also have a fancy name: ‘digital natives.’ Not sure how one qualifies for this hallowed term, but a guy who can use a fancy Mobile phone to book a cinema ticket on BookMyShow or accommodation at a good discount on Agoda is tech-savvy. Downloading a file and making a meme is the ultimate. All this done ‘khata khat’. Of course, making a 3-minute funny reel, a jerk dance by a jerk, and posting it on Instagram with ten thousand likes and counting is like getting a Gold in the Olympics and the ultimate of technology hi.

These guys may type a letter with one finger faster than anyone, couldn’t care less for QWERTY. But will not like to be told that there are ten mistakes in a 500-word letter. It hurts.

Mark Twain: “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

Their traits- as perceived by many

Very opinionated, may look conceited and go by a philosophy ‘my way or high way’. Non-conventional, fuzzy logic, and want to be treated equally- age, sex, experience, or qualifications no bar- argument ‘bar-bar’. They do not believe in a hierarchy- from a car tyre to an organisation, they prefer everything flat. They dislike hierarchy or reporting structure. Outspoken and question everything; yes, you can say well articulating argumentative nature. The final testament is ‘I am Gen zeee’. You got to respect me.

This generation in India has seen the best of India- they are truly lucky. Not all were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but yes, they all have a silver mobile held close to their mouth all the time, all of them.

They may not be great at Emotional intelligence, which has simple age-old traits like commitment and hard work, loyalty, trust, adaptability, resilience, perseverance, self- regulation, respect for the law or self-assessment and evaluation. But they have a very high net worth of themselves in their own eyes. Self-attested jewels on the crown. They are extremely sensitive and feel they are the brightest- few are. They also feel they have come of age. By the way, studies show that it is EQ that matters more than IQ in an 80:20 proportion. Lacking in EQ so badly is a bad situation. However great or intelligent you are, you need to fit into this world, and the world will not fit into you. You cannot fit a round bamboo in a square hole. The world is not a landmass but comprises 8 billion people. You are one of them.

India has a very vast geographical spread. We have seven metros, 28 state capitals, 8 union territories and 6.5 million villages called rural India. There are around a hundred tier two cities, and there are 4,041 statutory towns/cities and 3,894 census towns.

Broadly speaking, the population of rural India is estimated to be approximately 900 million to 920 million people, accounting for roughly 63% to 65% of the country’s total population.

Two broad buckets: urban Gen Z and Rural Gen Z.

It will not be fair to take the entire population of 370 million youth as one big monolithic chunk, as the entire population is distributed over a highly uneven landscape. It will be best to put them into two broad buckets: rural and urban.

Out of India’s estimated total Gen Z individuals, approximately 251.6 million live in rural areas and 118.4 million reside in urban areas. This distribution is heavily skewed toward villages, reflecting India’s overall demographic layout where about 68% of the youth population remains rural.

‘The rural wave is coming’

Urban Gen Z

This class is a class by itself. They have experienced everything better than their parents. Even parents have gone gaga over them right from the time they were toddlers. Overprotected, watched by parents 24/7 on CCTV for their safety, overprovided and well looked after, food, clothing, privacy, tantrums, shop till you drop. Praise without reason and reward without punishment. It’s a great personality and persona development formula. They need constant praise to remain sane- going into depression for them is like going into a nearby mall.

This urban generation possesses the generational wealth to experiment, take creative career gaps, or launch startups. They prioritise finding “purpose” and flat corporate hierarchies over sheer company survival.

They are very good at the sudden disappearance act. Employers enforcing rigid schedules, long hours, or return-to-office mandates often run into resistance, high turnover, or “quiet quitting”.

They are therefore mentally fragile, cannot take no for an answer- ‘meri marazi’. Life, as they say, is no bed of roses. The 21st century has certainly not grown more roses, especially for you- in fact, times ahead are going to be more difficult- less water, more pain, more struggle, bad air quality, adulterated toxic food, maybe shortages of crop/food. AI will help grow crops, but it still has to grow on Mother Earth.

Can you blame them? Point to ponder. If you keep a tiger in a protective environment where he gets three good meals every day, he will not survive in a wild jungle for even a day. He may become fatter.

These young urban tigers are a protected species- by the parents, by the government, and goaded and encouraged to be different by the pseudo liberals.

No wonder in the last few months one of them proudly says, ‘I have not spoken to my dad for the last ten years because I do not want to abide by what he says- I can look after myself, old enough to take my decisions.’ But dude, you are staying in his house; he pays for your clothes, movies, liquor, food, Starbucks coffee and college fee! There could be several thousand with this self-confidence.

The final product has to be self-hostile or even antipathetic. Raised on instant digital feedback loops, they struggle significantly with the slow, ambiguous, and unrewarding nature of traditional corporate workflows and life. They are highly sensitive to criticism and workplace conflict, which frequently triggers intense anxiety and burnout. That is why life skills become more important than math and science. Recently, a boy, aka a man of 18 jumped off a cliff and killed himself as his ‘ordinary’ parents could not buy him an expensive mobile phone- an upgrade. His father fell too, trying to save his Gen Z man. Mother too after that. ‘Papa kehte hain mera naam karega’! News was all over the media- naam kaar gaya beta.

That is why they cannot accept criticism- ready to commit suicide at the drop of a hat- not all, but more than a few. At their best, they perceive it as an attack on identity and are ready to abruptly resign. Very weak coping mechanisms and use silly expressions like ‘going into trauma or depression’ without even understanding what these are. They are mentally fragile if not weak. They want professional therapy, counselling or at best being praised for a screwup. They set very rigid boundaries that they want others to comply.

Because of them, it seems that the entire cohort of Indian Gen Z professionals display remarkably low organisational commitment, completely discarding the traditional Indian corporate playbook of long-term loyalty. Their tenure is shrinking rapidly as they prioritise rapid skill acquisition, clear growth trajectories, and mental well-being over corporate culture.

How is the Josh? Very high! Latest out of kit bag is ‘we do not need any permission; we do not accept what the courts say- not even the Supreme Court- government will not run from parliament but from the road- shabbash beta.

Rural Gen Z

They are mentally and physically tougher, adaptable and want a job for survival- they are in the majority. Thank God.

They are ready for criticism, and since they have strong family and social bonds, they respect age, hierarchy and going that extra mile. They do not throw tantrums and are willingly ready to work even if the going is tough, viewing work-life balance as a luxury they cannot yet afford.

Today they are equally savvy in handling the latest communication gadgets. They are not convent educated and may not speak great ‘ farrat’ English, but in a highly competitive corporate environment, this should not be a concern. You can teach a person English in six months, but you cannot change a conceited and entitlement attitude even in a decade. And an employer is not there to work on your attitude. These guys are ready to rough it out, and that is what is required at the bottom of the pyramid. They are conservative offline and super-savvy online. They are not sissy’s – far from it- rough and tough.

Therefore, urban youth unemployment sits higher (17.1% to 18.2%) – maybe more- because urban Gen Z can afford to reject low-paying or rigid roles while waiting for an ideal job match. They have a house to live in and a dad and mom to support them.

For obvious reasons, Rural Gen Z faces a lower measured unemployment rate (15.1%) simply because millions are forced into low-yield family agriculture, micro-retail, or local gig economies early in life just to survive. No modernism can throw Darwin’s theory of ‘survival of the fittest’ out of the window.

As industry realises this, the rural vs urban gap may well become larger. Remember a very important and perennial quote: ’ Companies hire you on skills but fire you on attitude’. This will hold good forever.

In recent days

This entire generation has been duped or conned by a few not-so-young guys in the last few months. Disguised as cockroaches, they were smart enough to project themselves as Gen Zee to an audience of 1.5 billion Indians, which was not even aware of this Gen Zee, as it was out of the common man’s lexicon.

It was to gain press coverage and some oblique political mileage, which they wanted, and foolishly our media too played the ball and got thoroughly fooled as usual by these ‘tillchattas’. They demonstrated to their peers, public, parents, politicians and of course the world that abusing and using the filthiest language by girls and boys was their new normal- ‘rok sako to rok lo’. They tarnished the image of the entire 400 million youth whom they not even remotely represented. They fully exploited the ‘poor Indian democracy’ (PID) to the hilt by abusing the Prime Minister, who is of their grandfather’s age. Indians are so proud of their parents; being respectful to elders was really made to feel embarrassed in front of the whole world. Imagine a bunch of 5000 hooligans tarnishing the national pride. Well done, boys and girls; you have made us proud.

Imagine these twits beating the police on duty, abusing everyone, including the armed forces, throwing stones and marching towards the parliament, defying even the Supreme Court. Not in my name- Gen Z must be thinking.

Some young men have kept our hope alive. Capt. Vikram Batra laid down his life at 24 during the Kargil war; he was awarded the PVC, the highest gallantry award. Whereas at 26 and 30 years old, ‘head cockroaches’ throw stones at their own police.

We the nation

India is on the roll, and that is why people inside and outside of the country want to join hands and derail our juggernaut. All opposition political parties, goons and the Western world joined hands to create chaos on Indian streets- what better than the capital, New Delhi.

Our GDP is what matters to us. The nation is supreme, and the national interest is first. The domestic product is created by the industry. We are depending on the youth, but the moot question is, are they dependable? Can the nation become the third largest economy? Can we become Viksit Bharat or a developed nation in the next two decades?

This seemingly difficult question has no simple answer. How do you beat the world that works twice as hard as you do? We cannot live on the hope that in the next few years, the world will grow old and we will beat them then.

‘Make in India’ requires makers in India first. Can we become a “competitive” manufacturing hub with ‘zero-defect ‘, as the Prime Minister thinks we can?

What needs to be addressed- national interest- we cannot play to the gallery. This is a nation in the making.

We want our rights, we want our entitlements, we want subsidies, we want reservations, but we shy away from responsibilities. In recent times, a new mantra of empowerment is being mixed up with entitlement.

An average Indian does not measure up to the Chinese, Koreans, Taiwanese, Japanese, Vietnams or our brethren from Singapore as far as discipline is concerned. How do we propose to compete with the Chinese who are highly disciplined and extremely hard-working? You can blame it on Confucius.

We have over 7.47 crore (74.7 million) registered MSME enterprises employing over 32.82 crore (328.2 million) people and contributing more than 35.5% to our GDP.

They work on razor-thin profit margins, have difficulty getting loans, the founders who are under constant fiscal stress, cannot give you fancy titles or promotions and cannot keep giving you a raise that you want every year, which can go through the roof.

We are a developing nation, and IT is a cherry on the cake. We have to become a manufacturing hub. China today is standing shoulder to shoulder with America because they have taken over the entire manufacturing from the world.

We have to have huge companies like TATA and Birla, but you also need smaller establishments in a supporting role. In a film, if there is a top star cast, you have other actors too. You also need several layers to get the camera rolling. MSMEs are a huge chunk of our industrial base. They have to thrive, if not survive.

They struggle to hire skilled and competent manpower. Lack of name recognition of the company reduces the talent pool from which MSMEs can hire employees, as there are fewer responses to job postings by small-scale businesses. Even after finding the right candidate from this small pool, MSMEs lose the right candidate due to their inability to offer a competitive salary, job security and career development opportunities similar to larger organisations.

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India face major hurdles including a massive credit gap, delayed payments from buyers, slow technology adoption, a shortage of skilled labour, and complex regulatory compliance. These issues restrict their daily operations and long-term growth.

How can they fulfil your appetite? Be it mental health, frequent breaks, no feedback, no expectations, flexitime, growth path that he himself is not clear about.

MSME is the lifeline for the Indian economy. Everyone cannot get a job with a large corporation or MNC.

What does our industry need?

We need a hardworking, productive, mentally resilient, disciplined, dedicated, loyal young workforce. A manufacturing guy needs you to be on the shop floor. Heat, dust and sweat are part of the job. No memes and reels, please. You cannot beat the world by dancing, abusing, throwing tantrums, or not working the way your job profile defines. You cannot write your own Job description, and you better follow what you are told.

No one is doing you any favour by giving you a job, and you are not doing a favour to your employer. It is absolutely transactional.

    ‘A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. he is not an interruption on our work. He is the purpose of it’

— Kenneth B. Elliott

Let me modify this quote for the Indian industry and its requirements.

“An employer is the most important person in your life. He is not dependent on you, but you are dependent on him. He is the purpose of the entire national progress and yours too.”

While digitally native are good with smartphones and social platforms, employers noted that many entry-level workers surprisingly lack experience with legacy enterprise tools like advanced spreadsheets, complex HR portals, or formal email threads.

Role of parents.

Remember, charity begins at home.

The societal storm outside is very harsh today. It is a hurricane. In the last two decades, technology has really disrupted our lives. Some good things, but mostly bad ones have popped up. Over-availability of things, electronic gadgets, social media, the internet, white goods and large disposable income have hit us like a sledgehammer. The youth, especially in big cities, have got things too soon. Earlier, parents built one house and had four children who would later inherit it. But now parents earn so much that they build two or three houses and have a single child! Therefore, the child is oversecured, and he is not in dire need of a job. He can throw tantrums and still live his life well, if not in luxury- his basics of ‘Roti Kapada aur makaan’ are taken care of. Now he appears to be bold and risk-taking. He is entitled to act pricey with the company he works for.

Parents have also outsourced ‘upbringing with values’ to the schools and also expect them to make a ‘mahatma’ by singing a lullaby all the time- no punishment, only rewards. You do not want your child to face any hardships, and you always say ‘main hoon na’. Obviously, if neither you nor the teacher can even take any corrective measures, what kind of a citizen or an individual do you imagine him/her to be? You have raised a sissy, a thoroughly spoilt human being, a good-for-nothing individual who has ego in his head and no compassion in his heart and a big safety net for a rainy day. This is not a universal phenomenon but, let me be correct by being politically incorrect: today most of the parents do this.

There is no rule book to this except to take the responsibility upon yourselves to raise your children and also support society, government and the schools. Especially the teachers- they are under stress. Doing all this may still not guarantee complete success, but, even if you can bring 20% change in the upbringing, it is a victory- let me tell you, some people are doing this, and that is why we are still surviving.

On the other hand, a young man or woman living in an environment where there is no safety net, he or she is more grounded and closer to reality, and this happens in smaller towns. Despite not being great in English language and having some personality rough edges, they ‘want’ to work, and they do ‘want’ work. They are hungry to achieve, ambitious and want to prove a point to say ‘main hoon na’. They are proud of their parentage and want to make their parents proud. There is a fire in their belly.

Advice for actual Gen Z

You need to look at the old JFK quote “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country”. Yes, you should bring improvements to the system, but remember to contribute too. Look at the right role models, build mental resilience, do value addition to yourself, your organisation, your country and respect the law, respect experience and respect age and authority. Spend more time sharpening your own axe, read and enhance your wisdom;

Today, we as a nation are sitting on a gold mine. Make use of the strong tailwind instead of becoming an obstacle.

How to hire the young workforce?

One must understand that we have a mixed bag of people to hire from. All things equal, you need to focus on the attitude of a person. Skills can be taught or enhanced, but to make a person a good, dependable and committed to the organisation is very difficult. Look for a person who really needs a job; his family background will tell you. Does he need a job to live, or is it a time pass? If I am needy, I will learn, earn and deliver. From my personal experience, I can confidently say that ‘English’ should not be the criterion, as most think- character, conviction and commitment far overshadow the outward personality.