A Human Resources (HR) professional and author on LinkedIn has said that urban Indians will have to work till 75 and that there will be “no such thing as retirement in this new age,” sparking a debate.
“The only way to retire is to leave urban India and move away into the hills to be incognito,” wrote Seema Raghunath in her post, adding that “if you insist living in the buzz (cities), be ready to move your bones even with arthritis.”
Raghunath said that this is because the “global economy will not allow it” and that it will “be impossible to sustain on one job and one salary.”
She also added that one of the reasons for this is that from “2027 onwards after AI kicks in, majorly nothing you knew so far will be like it was.”
Raghunath even dismissed equity investments, saying that “stock trading is a fallacy” with day trading being only “as good as race horse betting” and that “all investment plans that say they carry risk will only prove to be right.”
The situation could be such that going to trade school to learn blue collar work such as being a carpenter, mason, or plumber part time will “pay better than these investments.”
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Raghunath suggested to invest in hobbies and skills which can pay, over the next two years, especially for those over the age of 35.
This can include art, organic farming, poultry, baking, teaching, pearl culture, crab and prawn farming, seed culturing, and so on.
She even suggested that if one can own and run something that does not conflict with their job, then they should do it, adding that “the future of India is screaming the death of dual employment” which a law will revoke.
‘Online fearmongering’
Raghunath’s post inspired a flurry of reactions, with the majority disagreeing with her views and even calling them “online fearmongering.”
“Indians, please don’t be terrified of online fearmongering,” wrote a user. “Try to build some assets that can make your old age beneficial in times that are increasingly consumer driven. People are willing to pay, just have something to sell.”
Another user stated that the modern age ensures longevity, mobility, convenience, consumption, and monetisation and that AI will also deliver new opportunities.
Another wrote that Systematic investment plans (SIPs), real estate, and pension plans provide security and that long-term investments in the stock market builds wealth.
Who is Seema Raghunath?
Seema Raghunath has worked in prominent HR-related roles in companies such as Lionbridge Technologies, JPMorgan Chase, John Deere India, DHFL General Insurance, Incubation Farm, and mPokket, according to her LinkedIn profile.
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She is also an author who wrote six books in a year and a half, of which three have been published so far.
Her profile also shows that she has held some non-HR roles as well in companies such as Standard Chartered Bank, Avenue Makers, and Fullerton India Credit Company.
