Children or career? For young Indians the choice is clear

Millennials in India’s capital city care more about their responsibilities as parents than chasing high-profile careers.

Delhi residents born between 1981 and 1996, give preference to fulfilling their responsibilities towards their family and society, well ahead of owning material assets, according to the Gurugram-based Great Lakes Institute of Management.

The findings are based on a survey of 300 millennials in Delhi and the National Capital Region NCR). Owning a big house or a car was a priority for less than 2% of those surveyed.

The results of the survey agree with global trends. “Indian millennials’ value orientation is changing. It’s similar to the behaviour of millennials in the US, where an increasing number of women in this group prefer being stay-at-home moms rather than having a career,” said Poornima Gupta, an associate professor of human resources and organisational behaviour at Great Lakes Institute.

“Technology is the key enabler that helps millennial men and women balance, or if need be, prioritise home over work,” added Gupta.

Millennials in the northern Indian city are big supporters of leveraging technology in the workplace. About 68% respondents believe technology enables them to focus and pursue more creative and value-added work.

“This generation’s fervour for technology, (and ability to) use it as a ‘sixth sense,’ distinguishes them from their predecessors (Gen X), who were immigrants to technology,” said Gupta.

Besides technology, millennials in Delhi NCR value workplaces that support employees who have varied educational backgrounds, and promote gender diversity, reveal survey findings.

Unlike Gen X, millennials in Delhi NCR are not looking for a long-term career with a single organisation. They are more keen on experimenting with new roles and moving organisations frequently.

When it comes to finances, millennials in Delhi NCR are an optimistic lot. The majority of them are confident that they will be economically better off than their parents.

Nearly 74% of the millennials surveyed were also optimistic that the current slowdown in the Indian economy will be arrested in the next 12 months. And better days are just round the corner.