Will The Future Of Work Meet Our Aspirations For Good Life?

Article 43 of the Indian Constitution prescribes that Indian federal states take reasonably good care of their working population by ensuring decent standards of life. This directive principle makes us think about the idea of a ‘good life’ and how it could be scaled to cover the entire population of the most populous country in the world. There is a legacy of philosophical discourses on the ‘good life’ (works of Aristotle, Kant, Nietzsche, Albert Camus, Robert Nozick, John Rawls, Amartya Sen, and many others), and most of them agree that it involves a balance of personal well-being, ethical living, and meaningful connections with others.

Two concepts at the core of a ‘good life’ are decency and flexibility in work. Decent work is work which respects human dignity, offers security, ensures a decent income, and promotes opportunities for growth. If decent work empowers them, they are capable of richer lives, contributing productively to society, and attaining higher goals of sustainable development. Decent work is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-8) set out by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Decent work is still a long-term vision for policymakers, and it is probably time to bring it to the forefront. Flexibility options for work, on the other hand, are on the rise, thanks to the innovations in technology and digital transformations. But, unless the jobs migrate to the rural spaces and equitable access to technology is enabled, the flexibility provisions tend to be underutilized.

Decency and flexibility, which the reviewer considers to be at the core of a ‘good life’, are indeed critical for the future of work, which Chandrashekar Sripada talks about in his book ‘Shaping the Future of Work’. Sripada opines that the norms for working conditions will tend to improve as India moves towards a knowledge-based economy. The time has probably come to invest in the idea of ‘Human Capital for All’, which is a critical initial step towards decent work. Flexibility, to Sripada, is the new currency in the world of work, which has gained greater momentum post-Covid-19. He urges that the flexibility provisions must be further shaped in such a way that they can help reach the unutilized rural talent.

In this important endeavour, Sripada recommends strategies which could take us closer to the core aspects of decency and flexibility by introducing the idea of ‘human capital inclusion’, wherein all individuals have equal access to opportunities for developing and utilizing their human capital. One of the key arguments that comes up strongly in the book is that policymakers must investigate the possibilities of human capital inclusion prior to strategizing economic growth. This is possible when we see human capital as an investment and not as an expenditure.

Sripada opines that with such advancements in technology, it is possible to think big and re-create a socio-economic structure, which is transformative and revolutionary, that incorporates human capital inclusion as a base, leading us to a ‘good life’. GenZ and GenAlpha are thinking along these lines, and the guardian powers need to acknowledge it and move towards this future of work. In the epilogue of the book, Sripada envisions India emerging as the world capital for human capital by its 100th year of independence (2047). The book acknowledges that it is possible to think in this direction and calls for a behavioural change at the country, firm and individual levels, as this cannot be led only by technological and infrastructural upgradations.

Sripada’s book highlights the urgent need for investments in infrastructure to enable equitable access to digital resources. He espouses expanding broadband to rural areas and ensuring everyone has a device to connect to the internet, which is fundamental for meaningful inclusion. These are top-down approaches requiring government support and resources. However, Sripada also emphasises bottom-up change, advocating behavioural shifts across society to embrace digital resources effectively.

To this end, Sripada's proposition on human capital inclusion can be seen in the “access, adoption, and application” framework, often used to measure financial inclusion. In terms of access, there is a need to ensure that the internet bandwidth covers the entire geography, including the deeper rural spaces. Sripada opines that initiatives like BharatNet are working towards such an objective and could be given a fillip. However, access has value only if accompanied by adoption, which is achieved by providing devices for connectivity. This would require significant public investment, possibly through initiatives like “laptops for all.” Some states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Kerala, and Odisha, among others, have some provisions to supply laptops for young students. Such measures could be extended further to all human capital in the country. Finally, the application element calls for digital literacy and skill-building programs so that individuals can leverage digital tools for meaningful employment. India’s existing educational and skills training infrastructure, as Sripada notes, offers a base for addressing these application gaps, but much remains to be done to adapt this infrastructure to the evolving demands of the digital economy.

Sripada’s book arrives at a crucial moment when digital transformation is influencing many workers and enticing India’s youth with possibilities for further change. India is experiencing a demographic dividend with low labour force participation (LFP), particularly among women. The demographic dividend can only yield real benefits if human capital inclusion is achieved, allowing for participation that is flexible, empowering, and meaningful.

In building a workforce equipped for the future, it must be recognized that local access to deep, specialized knowledge and expertise is a challenge. This knowledge gap, the distance between local expertise and the advanced skills often concentrated in certain regions or institutions, can hinder innovation and collaboration, particularly in fields requiring interdisciplinary approaches. In Sripada’s vision, addressing this gap could involve both local skill-building initiatives and partnerships that allow knowledge transfer across borders, ensuring that even remote or underserved regions can engage with cutting-edge developments.

In summary, Shaping the Future of Work is a timely call for policymakers, corporations, and individuals alike to rethink the purpose and possibilities of work. Sripada invites readers to envision a future where everyone has the opportunity to lead a good life, contributing to India becoming a Capital for Human Capital. His insights challenge India to leverage its technological and demographic strengths to build an inclusive economy that prioritizes well-being, empowerment, and opportunity for its workforce. In order to twine the future of work with good life aspirations of the workforce, the measures recommended by Sripada in his book are to embrace inclusivity, integrate rural talent into the workforce, and build remote work capabilities by adopting the latest technologies.

(The author is an Associate Director at Indian School of Business)