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Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
India's middle class: From colonial clerks to digital citizens
If you really want to understand India, follow the middle class. From colonial courtrooms and chalk-dusted classrooms to metro stations, DigiLockers, and QR-code payments, this group has mirrored every shift in politics, the economy and culture. It has queued for ration cards, argued about GST, worked in Soviet-style factories, embraced market liberalisation, protested in the streets and founded start-ups. In a research paper, sociologists Surinder S. Jodhka and Aseem Prakash describe its evolution as a series of 'moments', distinct phases, each shaped by the historical, political, and economic currents of the time. This isn't a story that begins in 1947. The roots go back to the British Raj, and the middle class has reinvented itself at least three times since. 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From these campuses came lawyers, doctors, teachers, journalists. Most were upper-caste, from families that were comfortable but not wealthy enough to avoid paid work. Many had been to Britain, soaking up liberal and democratic ideals. They joined social reform movements and the freedom struggle, but their reformism had limits. Even as they pushed for change, they often reinforced caste, religious and community boundaries. Live Events Independence to the 1970s Post-Independence, the state was the great employer, and the middle class was at its core. Jawaharlal Nehru's model put the government in charge of economic planning, industry, and services. Between 1956 and 1970, public sector jobs grew by 5.1 million. The organised private sector added 1.7 million jobs from 1960 to 1970, but slowed dramatically in the next decade, adding only 0.5 million. These were salaried professionals, 'short on money but long on institutional perks,' who had unusual influence because the state still enjoyed real autonomy from market pressures. The bureaucracy thrived, sometimes 'hijacking' policy to serve its own interests. But the base was diversifying. Industrial growth, rural development programmes and affirmative action widened access. Reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in education, public jobs, and politics opened new doors, though upper-caste dominance persisted. 1980s–2000s: the consumer turn By the 1980s, the Nehruvian state was running out of steam. Globally, market economies were thriving. In India, the decade saw rising aspirations, the growth of private enterprise, and the first cracks in the licence–permit raj. Then came 1991. Liberalisation expanded the middle class and boosted its spending power, but also exposed it to market volatility, inflation shocks and job insecurity. The media liked to portray this 'new' middle class as an income bracket with shopping malls and credit cards. But, as Jodhka and Prakash note, its real importance lies in how it sits between the state, market and civil society, influencing all three while representing a mix of communities. Jobs and sector spread Organised sector jobs – public and private – have always been the middle class's anchor, but they cover just 7% of total employment. Public sector employment rose from 11.2 million in 1971 to 18 million in 2007, growing strongly in the 1970s and 1980s. After 1996–97, contraction set in, cutting 1.56 million jobs by 2006–07. The private organised sector grew from 6.74 million jobs in 1970–71 to 9.24 million in 2006–07, a sluggish 1% annual growth. From 1997–98 to 2005–06, it even shrank by 0.3 million. Today, middle-income groups stretch across agriculture, industry, services, intellectual work and top decision-making roles. In rural areas, they include large farmers, small entrepreneurs and salaried officials. 2014–2025: policy focus and the politics of relief The last eleven years have seen government policy explicitly centre the middle class in India's growth plan. The aim: ease financial pressure, expand housing, transport, healthcare and education, and cut bureaucratic friction, as per the government. Taxation is the most visible shift. Exemption thresholds have been raised repeatedly, with a simplified regime in 2020. In the Union Budget 2025–26, the zero-tax threshold jumped to ₹12 lakh, with a ₹75,000 standard deduction, meaning someone earning ₹12.75 lakh pays nothing. The cost: nearly ₹1 lakh crore in foregone revenue. Compliance is easier too: pre-filled returns, faceless e-assessment, and ITR filings rising from 3.91 crore in 2013–14 to 9.19 crore in 2024–25. Inflation, the 'silent tax', averaged 8.2% between 2004–05 and 2013–14, but eased to 5% from 2015–16 to 2024–25 through tighter RBI coordination and better supply management. It has now fallen to 2.10%. The Unified Pension Scheme, launched in 2024, guarantees half of the last year's average basic pay after 25 years of service, with family pensions at 60%. It covers 23 lakh central employees and over 90 lakh in state systems. Urban life has transformed. The Smart Cities Mission is 93% complete. PMAY (Urban) has sanctioned 1.16 crore houses, 92.72 lakh of which are finished. Metro networks have grown from 248 km in 2014 to 1,013 km in 2025. Operational airports have more than doubled under UDAN. Healthcare and education have expanded. Ayushman Bharat–PMJAY covers over 41 crore people. Jan Aushadhi Kendras have grown to 16,469 outlets. Skill-building schemes have trained more than 1.63 crore people in everything from AI to mechatronics. Digital governance is now routine. Aadhaar covers 141.88 crore people. DigiLocker serves 52.51 crore users. UMANG delivers 2,297 services without a single queue. The contradictions remain From colonial reformers to online taxpayers, the Indian middle class has been both the engine and the product of its era. It has demanded state protection and market freedom, modernisation and community identity, reform and status quo. As Jodhka and Prakash remind us, 'The middle class also needs to be understood in terms of its role in relation to the state, market and the civil society.' The challenge ahead isn't just adding to its numbers, but securing its economic base while keeping the ladder open for those still climbing. Because in India, the middle class is more than an income bracket; it's the country's mirror.
TechCrunch
06-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Blinq lands $25M to further its mission to make business cards passé
It's 2025, but business cards are still in vogue — just visit any conference or industry expo and you'll end up with a pile that's likely to be discarded sooner than later. But as smartphones have become our repositories of information and contacts, people are understandably keen to try out digital alternatives to business cards. Blinq, a startup out of Melbourne, bet that trend would take off when it started off as a hobby project in 2017, offering a digital business card app with a QR-code widget. Today, the company is making off with a bag of gold: It now has more than 2.5 million users — both individual customers and across 500,000 companies in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia. Off the back of that progress, the startup has now raised a $25 million Series A funding round led by Touring Capital. Returning backers Blackbird Ventures and Square Peg Capital also participated in the round, as did new investor HubSpot Ventures. '[The Blinq's QR] was a simple, personal way to share who you are, and it worked well between iPhone users. But it wasn't until late 2019 when most Android devices caught up on QR scanning, and adoption started to grow,' Jerrod Webb, CEO and founder of Blinq, told TechCrunch. 'Then came COVID — QR codes went mainstream, in-person meetings became more intentional, and Blinq's focus on making those moments seamless and memorable started to take off.' The startup has taken the B2C2B route ever since. The app lets users create several customized digital business cards for different needs and connect with contacts using them. The app can also automatically capture details and sync them with CRM systems such as HubSpot or Salesforce by using QR codes, email signatures, NFCs, short links, or video call backgrounds. Blinq is used by individuals, small businesses, and global enterprises, and 80% of its customer base is located in the U.S., Webb said. Its team has scaled from five employees based in Melbourne to 67 across Sydney, Melbourne, New York, and San Francisco, supporting its product development and go-to-market efforts. 'Every time someone uses Blinq, they're introducing it to someone new. And further, we see more frequent usage by active users the longer they're on the platform,' Webb said. 'That built-in virality drives organic growth and keeps our customer acquisition costs low. On the business side, companies pay per seat. As more employees adopt the product, teams grow organically, creating expansion revenue over time.' Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | BOOK NOW Blinq competes with several companies providing similar digital business card services, including Mobilo, Popl, Wave, and Wix. Of course, the app also has to contend with social networking platforms like LinkedIn, landing pages, and services like Linketree. But Webb feels Blink is more suited to building relationships, and provides users more ways to follow up and engage with new contacts. Webb sees digital business cards as more than just an endpoint. 'They're our wedge. Because when you are the trusted tool at the moment a relationship begins, you earn the right to shape what follows. We're focused on giving people everything they need to turn first impressions into real momentum — from dynamic, context-rich profiles to smart ways to stay top of mind. That means expanding into new markets, deepening our presence with businesses and enterprises, and continuing to evolve how people connect in a world that's changing fast.'
