Building strong foundations through Anganwadis

Early childhood is not just ethical — it is essential for economic growth.

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India must now move beyond survival to ensure every child receives the cognitive care needed to thrive in the future economy,

India has the largest and youngest working population, with 164.5 million children aged 0-6 years, constituting about 13.6 per cent of the total population. Our working-age population is estimated to reach around 1.12 billion — the single largest workforce of any country globally.

As these children represent the collective human capital of tomorrow, our quest for Viksit Bharat@2047 rides on the shoulders of these future adults. This is a pivotal moment to harness this demographic dividend and invest in their human and cognitive development to prepare them to participate in the economy in their adulthood. A child’s educational, professional and skilled potential is determined by care, development and learning in the first six years of life. Over 80 per cent of brain development occurs before the child is three years old, and 85-90 per cent by six years of age.

Zero to six years — especially zero to three years, is a critical phase of rapid brain growth, laying the foundation for adult cognitive, psychomotor, educational and intellectual potential. It is thus a critical window of opportunity to shape and build a foundation for their future, particularly in terms of future learning, behaviour and health. Investing in early childhood yields substantial economic returns. Research by Nobel Laureate James Heckman demonstrates that every dollar invested in quality early childhood programmes from birth to age five can generate returns of $4 to $16.