Health, Education, and Demographic Dividend: Pathways to Viksit Bharat@2047

India's demographic transition (from high to low fertility and mortality) began around 2005-06 and will continue until about 2055. This transition offers a crucial window: India's workingage population (20-59 years) already exceeds 55 per cent (median age 28 years in 2023), presenting a potential “demographic dividend” for growth. To reach the Viksit Bharat@2047 goal of a $30 trillion economy, India's per capita GDP needs to increase from roughly $2,480 (2023) to $18,072 by 2047, requiring a sustained annual growth rate of 9.1 per cent. By comparing against Asian economies such as China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia, we see how these nations have transformed demographic advantages into human capital-led growth. Key findings show that India significantly lags in human-capital metrics: for example, public health spending is only about 3.3 per cent of GDP (2021), compared to 9-11 per cent in peer countries, and just about 21 per cent of India's workforce is classified as “skilled,” versus roughly 84-99 per cent in East Asian nations. Education gaps are also evident: India's adult literacy (74 per cent) and female school enrolment are well below global benchmarks. Persistent rural-urban and social disparities, such as SC/ST literacy rates of 58-66 per cent and female labour-force participation at 37 per cent, hinder the effective utilisation of its youthful population. Our analysis suggests that investing more in education and healthcare, expanding vocational training, and adopting targeted policies from successful Asian models can help India tap into its demographic potential. Timely, evidence-based measures are essential to turning this unique opportunity into enduring prosperity by 2047.