2026 through the Gen Z lens: The unstoppable rise of a new generation
India's Gen Z, numbering 380 million, is a powerful force driving change. This generation is impacting innovation, politics, and spending habits. Their direct and influenced spending is set to grow significantly. Gen Z's evolving preferences for c...
By ET Bureau | Updated:
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Each new generation brings with it a promise of change and a distinct way of seeing, working and influencing the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent shoutout to India’s 380 million strong Gen Z population, crediting it with driving innovation in areas from space technology to composite materials, only underlines the influence wielded by this cohort. On their part, this band of youngsters— born between 1997 and 2012—has been busy. They have triggered change in governments, upended politics, altered spending patterns and set the standards for work and play across societies worldwide.
In India, consultancy BCG estimates that direct spending by Gen Z was at about $200 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, their “influenced spending” of $660 billion is pegged to surge to $1.4 trillion by 2030 and $2 trillion by 2035. As the New Year beckons, we zoom in on why and how Gen Z’s ability to foster change will grow stronger in the years to come.
ET writers and columnists portray the changes, frame the expectations, and offer a view forward across sectors as seen from the perspective of Gen Z.
