Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said India’s bigger worry isn’t ageing before it gets rich, but becoming unhealthier before it gets rich, pointing to rising obesity and sedentary lifestyles that threaten the country’s productivity dividend.
Responding to the question of whether India will age before it becomes rich due to falling birth rates and a shrinking youth bulge, Nageswaran said the working-age population will keep rising for some time, giving India a window.
“More than worrying about whether we are becoming older before we become richer, I would say whether we are becoming unhealthier before we become richer,” he said in an exclusive conversation.
He cited the NFHS (National Family Health Survey), which shows improvements in infant mortality, institutional births and maternal health, but “obesity across income levels, across rural or urban and across gender, it has worsened”.
Nageswaran attributed this to lifestyle, sedentary habits, lack of physical activity, poor urban design, and late evening eating.
The warning highlights that India faces a health challenge before achieving wealth, which could impact productivity and economic growth if not addressed through policy interventions and lifestyle changes.
