New Delhi, Feb. 25 -- Imagine being the world's fifth-largest economy but ranking 130th in labour productivity-that's India. This stark contradiction delivers a jolt that sits uneasily with the country's growth ambitions. While no major economy faces an imminent recession threat, there are economic, geopolitical and technological upheavals reshaping the world order.

In this volatile environment, India must confront a critical but often overlooked challenge: labour productivity. Without determined efforts, our low labour productivity will continue to erode our economy's growth potential, pushing it into a middle-income trap. Therefore, addressing this gap is not just a policy priority, but an existential imperative.

In a little over a mo...