'No job, scrolls reels on Chinese phones': Bihar wasting demographic edge, says AI founder
Staying in Munger, he describes a bleak reality where young men in their 20s are either grinding endlessly for government exams—or endlessly scrolling through reels on Chinese phones, via American apps, while cursing both nations.
- Oct 3, 2025,
- Updated Oct 3, 2025 12:14 PM IST
Bihar may be India’s youngest state, but according to tech founder Aaditya Aanand, it’s also where the country’s demographic dividend is quietly going to waste—drained by joblessness, digital distractions, and policy neglect.
“Bihar is an example of how India is wasting its demographic dividend,” wrote Aanand, founder of an AI startup, in a widely shared LinkedIn post. “Come here and you’ll see: fastest growing economy means nothing when jobs don’t exist on the ground.”
Staying in Munger, he describes a bleak reality where young men in their 20s are either grinding endlessly for government exams—or endlessly scrolling through reels on Chinese phones, via American apps, while cursing both nations.
“At the gym, I meet guys whose ‘career’ is three hours of lifting, some lottery-like trading, Winzo or MPL games, and then back to reels,” he wrote. “If you ask them why? They say—there aren’t many jobs.”
Bihar, home to 10% of India’s youth, faces a unique paradox. It leads in population growth and has improved on key metrics like power supply and crime rates, yet its employment ecosystem remains stagnant.
“Most of my childhood friends are jobless,” Aaditya wrote. “They are either unemployed or would like to believe they are not. And if not for education, I too would have been scrolling reels, gambling on options, playing Ludo all day.”
He added that Bihar shouldn’t be reduced to a labor-exporting state. “India can’t shine without Bihar. We don’t exist just to supply laborers to well-off states.”
The post sparked sharp responses. One user wrote, “No wonder southern states are questioning why they should support states like Bihar through higher tax contributions. It’s not political—youths here have to change or they’ll always be seen as ‘Bihari labourers’.”
The comment echoes a growing fiscal friction between states that generate revenue and those that depend heavily on central transfers.
Bihar may be India’s youngest state, but according to tech founder Aaditya Aanand, it’s also where the country’s demographic dividend is quietly going to waste—drained by joblessness, digital distractions, and policy neglect.
“Bihar is an example of how India is wasting its demographic dividend,” wrote Aanand, founder of an AI startup, in a widely shared LinkedIn post. “Come here and you’ll see: fastest growing economy means nothing when jobs don’t exist on the ground.”
Staying in Munger, he describes a bleak reality where young men in their 20s are either grinding endlessly for government exams—or endlessly scrolling through reels on Chinese phones, via American apps, while cursing both nations.
“At the gym, I meet guys whose ‘career’ is three hours of lifting, some lottery-like trading, Winzo or MPL games, and then back to reels,” he wrote. “If you ask them why? They say—there aren’t many jobs.”
Bihar, home to 10% of India’s youth, faces a unique paradox. It leads in population growth and has improved on key metrics like power supply and crime rates, yet its employment ecosystem remains stagnant.
“Most of my childhood friends are jobless,” Aaditya wrote. “They are either unemployed or would like to believe they are not. And if not for education, I too would have been scrolling reels, gambling on options, playing Ludo all day.”
He added that Bihar shouldn’t be reduced to a labor-exporting state. “India can’t shine without Bihar. We don’t exist just to supply laborers to well-off states.”
The post sparked sharp responses. One user wrote, “No wonder southern states are questioning why they should support states like Bihar through higher tax contributions. It’s not political—youths here have to change or they’ll always be seen as ‘Bihari labourers’.”
The comment echoes a growing fiscal friction between states that generate revenue and those that depend heavily on central transfers.