With half of its population under 25 and the unemployment rate at four-decade high, India faces an uncertain future. The question on young people’s minds: what kinds of jobs will we have? Quartz asked leaders across India’s biggest industries about that one job in their company or field that will be the most crucial in the coming decades.
Despite India’s consumption slump hitting retailers hard, there have been no massive job cuts. Given its huge size, the sector has managed to absorb the macroeconomic upheavals well. It is hopeful of a recovery in the second half of 2020 on the back of renewed demand in manufacturing and automobile sectors.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the founder of fashion house Sabyasachi, told Quartz:
A crucial job for us will be that of a chief sustainability officer. This position will continue our economic and social sustainability initiatives for our karigars [artisans], and tighten our focus on environmental sustainability. We want to consider the economic, social, and environmental justice impacts at every step of our brand’s decision-making process. The CSO will review our current practices and recommend ways for improving our business structure, supply chain, and operations. They’ll also be responsible for future initiatives that focus on the upward mobility of craftspeople throughout our country.
The challenge with hiring for this role will be finding someone who understands the various ways in which a brand can employ sustainable business practices, which practices ought to be prioritized, and how to effectively communicate these changes both internally and to our consumers.