The ongoing elections in India has turned eyes to growth achieved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to CNN Business.
During his time in office, India’s economy has become the world’s fifth largest economy. Investing in infrastructure like highways, ports, airports and railways has attracted more investors.
In spite of this growth, income inequality has left millions still living in slums. Unemployment rates are still on the rise. However, Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are widely expected to win another five-year term because many Indians believe that India is on the rise.
More than 40% of Indians are young people, under 25, go to the capital Mumbai driven by aspiration and ambition. Stories like this further fuel their aspirations.
The Tech Developer
Javed Khatri opens up about his childhood and his fascinations with tech devices like smartphones and computers. He could not afford buying them so he would go to the train station to see them.
“In the region where I used to stay, one of the best things that one could think of was just to complete 10th grade, and then work at a call center or sell vegetables or work at a garage or do some kind of odd jobs,” says Khatri, now 30. “That was our topmost ambition.”
Instead of pushing him to start working young, his parents encouraged him to complete his education until he finished 10th grade and studied computer science at college.
He fell behind his colleagues and struggled with the tasks that were a piece of cake to others. His dedication pushed him to learn everything. He started building apps and small business with his classmates. After graduating, he started a mobile app developer with only 20,000 rupees and later sold it for $2 million. He is now building a new online platform to connect tech firms with engineers. Thanks to his success, he is supporting his family and is able to change the course of their lives.
The Influencer
College student Apoorva Mukhija had to move back home due to covid-19. “Everybody knew everybody, everybody talked about each other,” she says. She had no friends, so Instagram was her escape, so she started posting comedy videos.
“I was genuinely really desperate to talk to somebody, and so the camera was my friend.”
After graduating, she worked for a tech firm, but after a while she realized that she made more money as a content creator on social media. Her career took off and now she has 1.3 million people watching her.
According to Mukhija, internet has yet to offer many opportunities for young Indians. Influencer marketing industry in India is expected to be worth more than $281 million in 2024, according to an April report by consultancy EY India.
Social media industry has opened doors for Mukhija, who just completed filming in her first acting role.
She was able to take care of her parents, who offered many sacrifices to give her a decent life. “My dad comes from nothing, he has built himself up,” she tells CNN. “So it’s just nice that they’ve given me so much and maybe I can give a fraction of it back to them.”
The shoemaker
Jameel Shah ran away from Bihar, India’s poorest state, at the age of 13 to find work in Mumbai. A friend, who promised him to help him meet Bollywood stars, scammed him of his life savings. He followed him to Bangalore but he ran out of money.
In Bangalore, he worked as a security guard at a building that had a dance studio and after a while the owner allowed him to learn for free.
He returned to Mumbai and continued learning under a Bollywood choreographer while working. He found an opportunity in shoes used for dancing classes and after four years, his shoe brand came to life. He attracted stylists and choreographers who used them in dance studios.
“I have made shoes for a lot of Bollywood stars like Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif. Many times I am not aware that these actors have used my shoes; it’s only when I see them dancing (in movies) I realize that they were made by me because of their unique cut, design and style,” Shah says.
The peek of his career was when Kylie Minogue bought eight pairs of his shoes.
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