By Kaveri Nangia | Founder- K247Consult.com
As a Senior professional navigating India’s dynamic economy, I often find myself caught between admiration for the wisdom of older generations and frustration at the bottlenecks they sometimes create. One such dilemma that’s been stirring debate is the proposal to raise the retirement age. 60 is the New 40—But What About the 20-Somethings? Is it a progressive move or a roadblock to tech savvy youth of India – A Tug-of-War: Wisdom vs. Wi-Fi”
The Case of Passion Planners
- Experience is invaluable: Senior professionals bring decades of expertise, mentorship, and institutional memory. In sectors like education, healthcare, and governance, their continued presence can ensure stability and quality.
- Financial & Personal Well-being: With medical advancements, 60 is the new 50. My father feels physically and mentally sharp. More importantly, it gives him a sense of purpose and a daily routine. He dreads the idea of empty days more than busy ones.
- Economic sustainability: With increasing life expectancy and a shrinking pension pool, extending retirement helps reduce fiscal pressure on social security systems.
- Global alignment: Countries like Japan and Germany have already raised retirement ages to adapt to aging populations. India, too, must prepare for demographic shifts.
- Progressive Learning: The generation has picked and learned on the go and they are ready to use new tools and realign their thoughts still have it in them to get their hands dirty to get the job done.
The Rise of the “Silver Collar” Workforce
- Many corporate giants and SMEs are rethinking retirement.
- With experience being a prized asset, seasoned professionals are being retained as consultants, advisors, or even full time employees beyond the age of 60.
- Sectors like finance, legal, and manufacturing value institutional memory and domain expertise—making older professionals indispensable.
“Retirement is no longer a full stop. It’s a comma,” says a senior HR leader at a top Indian conglomerate.
The Case of Pension Planners
- The Job Logjam: Every year, millions of graduates like her enter the job market. If senior positions aren’t vacated, a bottleneck is created. Promotions stagnate, and entry-level hiring slows to a crawl. Our famed demographic dividend risks becoming a demographic disaster, fueling youth unemployment and unrest and brain drain.
- Innovation slowdown: Younger professionals often bring fresh perspectives and techsavvy approaches. Over-reliance on older workers may hinder innovation.
- Delayed leadership transition: When senior roles remain occupied longer, it postpones the rise of new leaders, affecting organizational dynamism.
- Moonlighting/ Quite Quitting/ Mental Health Issues: These are real time concerns of the young India who want quick money and growth but are grappling with shortened attention and emotional spans.
The Youthquake:
- Gen Z and millennials are entering the workforce with different priorities—flexibility, purpose, and rapid growth.
- Startups and new-age SMEs are embracing younger talent for their tech fluency, creative thinking, and risk appetite.
- However, many young professionals feel blocked by the slow turnover at the top, especially in legacy firms.
“We’re not asking for shortcuts—we’re asking for space,” says a 26-year-old product manager at a mid-sized tech firm.
What’s Next? My Take
I believe the solution lies in flexibility and bridging the “generation gap” India’s growth journey depends on intergenerational collaboration, not competition. Let’s build a future where wisdom and youth walk hand in hand.
Instead of a blanket increase, we need Phased increase/ sector-specific restructuring of policy. For example, physically demanding jobs may require earlier retirement, while knowledge-based roles could benefit from extended tenures.
Ageism should be passe for our corporate India who should build abilities purely on merit and passion for excellence and performance. The new India should be inclusive of all age groups based on their merit and passion. The future isn’t either/or—it’s both/and.
The real challenge for a growing India isn’t picking a retirement age. It’s about building a multigenerational workforce here experience is honored and ambition is realized with
inclusive thought building.
India’s growth needs both horsepower and navigation. Depth of wisdom Direction from dreamers.
What do you think? How do we build a bridge between these two generations?
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