India to supply workers to the world by 2022: Pranab Mukherjee

India is going to have the largest working population by 2022 when it will be in a position to supply workers to the world, former President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday said.

At that time, there will be shortage of working hands elsewhere in the world and the country will have 'demographic advantage', Mukherjee said.

"India being the oldest civilisation is going to be younger" in coming years with the largest number of skilled young working professionals and India has to provide leadership to the world, he said.

To achieve this, the country should reach the target of 500 million skilled manpower creation programme, Mukherjee said while addressing the Annual Day of the Kolkata Chapter of Young Indians, the youth wing of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The former President said from 2013-17, an estimated 71 per cent of the wealth generated in India had been appropriated by 21 per cent people of country. "This situation has to change and the change will be brought by you, not by me, and the responsibility lies on you," he observed.

About India's rich diversity, Mukherjee said it is the land of three major ethnic groups - Caucasian, Dravidian and Mongoloid - and it is the country of 160 languages and dialects, of divergent customs and practices in daily life.

Yet India remained one and guided by the same Constitution and the same system, he pointed out. "The development paradigm must shift to grow together, to develop together in peace and harmony," he said.

Stating he had left Rashtrapati Bhavan eight months back, Mukherjee said he came to address the CII Young Indians as "an elderly guardian'.

PTI