Over half of the world’s population comprises young people. Their role in shaping global development is thus unparalleled, and the choices they make today will mould our collective future. As catalysts of change, their lofty aspirations, sense of optimism, and creative responses to the emerging ‘glocal’ challenges will help determine the trajectory of the world in the 21^st century.

India has a particularly unique role to play at this juncture. It is not only the world’s most populated country with 1.4 billion people, it is also one of the world’s youngest nations, with an average age of 29, and more than 50 percent of the population are under 30. As India navigates the path to a ten-trillion-dollar economy, strewn with both enormous potential and immense challenges, the country’s youth can influence local and global development agendas. That local agenda is called Viksit Bharat 2047: to become a fully developed nation by the centenary of independence.

Against this backdrop, ORF SPARK, ORF’s flagship programme on youth engagement, is making a remarkable impact. Aimed at reaching out to both urban and rural youth, the programme seeks to help nurture an informed and engaged youth demographic through policy conversations in schools, colleges, and universities. The initiative aims to pique the minds of India’s youth around critical challenges facing India and the world. The hope is to ignite meaningful responses and inspire young people to become agents of change towards building a fair and equitable world. Two years since its inception, ORF SPARK has already been implemented in a number of Indian cities, engaging with thousands of high school and college students through interactive workshops, lectures, debates, town halls, and youth parliaments, as well as creative platforms such as skits and podcasts.

The ORF SPARK Dialogue was held in Mumbai on 9 January 2024, in partnership with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), supported by the Consulate General of Australia in Mumbai, Detox Group, Sigma University in Vadodara, and Kohinoor Education Trust’s Schools of Management. “Hope in the Horizon: India’s Youth and Global Futures” was a day-long conclave where participants agitated their aspirations and anxieties in shaping a future that is built for the greater common good. This anthology is an outcome of the Dialogue—it is a collection of essays authored by select participants and other invited contributors. It offers fresh insights and youth perspectives into some of the most crucial issues facing the world today.

The first section carries the theme, “Jobs for All: The Future of Work in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” and includes contributions from Tanya Aggarwal, Sarah Farmer, Areesha Khan, and Jenna Stephenson. They propose strategies to navigate the disruptions brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The second section, “Contestations and Convergences: Rising to the Climate Challenge,” features essays by Berjis Driver and Sapni GK, Ravindra Utgikar and Sayali Thakare, Neetu Singh, and Dharmil Doshi, who underscore the need for fostering climate-responsible lifestyles for a sustainable future. The final section, to which we have given the title, “Bridging Horizons: Challenges and Pathways for Social Innovation,” collates pieces from Mitali Nikore, Arya Pillai, Aparna Raj C, Priyanka Parle, Kanishk Gomes, and Saimaa Khan. They deliberate on the increasing credence of a ‘society-first’ ethos, encouraging the youth to become social innovators.

This compendium serves as both a source of inspiration and a call to action. It is our hope that these essays by young authors will provoke thought and inspire change for an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable world.

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Read the monograph here.

• Development
• Sustainable Development
• India
• climate
• Development
• future
• India
• Innovation
• ORF SPARK
• sustainability
• Youth

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