New Delhi, Sept. 17 -- When crude oil prices turned negative during the covid pandemic, 42-year-old Kunal Sharma (name changed on request), started planting mushrooms in his Gurugram flat to earn money. The father of two, whose mother was undergoing dialysis, worked for an oil company and was worried he would be laid off or face a salary cut when the firm started to cut costs.

In the end Shamra suffered a temporary pay cut, which wasn't too bad considering his wife was also earning a salary. However, he gained valuable firsthand experience of the fragile job market.

Sharma is one of many Indians in their late 30s and 40s who are juggling monthly payments, their children's education and ageing parents' healthcare in an uncertain job mark...