India’s Gen-Z Is Not One Block, Priorities Differ Across Regions: Chaitanya Kashyap

At Indian Journalism Festival, MP MSME Minister says AI and social media are reshaping journalism; engaging young people is essential to prevent a generation from becoming directionless

Indore | SDNA

India’s diversity is reflected not only in its languages, cultures and geography but also in the way its younger generation views life, work, politics and the future.

Against this backdrop, Madhya Pradesh MSME Minister Chaitanya Kashyap cautioned against treating Gen-Z as a single, uniform group. Speaking at the three-day Indian Journalism Festival organised by the State Press Club Madhya Pradesh in Indore, he said the aspirations and priorities of young people can vary significantly between metropolitan cities, smaller towns and different regions of the country.

He also highlighted a parallel transformation taking place in journalism, where the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and social media has shifted the central challenge from merely delivering information to establishing whether that information deserves public trust.

One Generation, Many Different Priorities

Kashyap said India’s Gen-Z cannot be understood through a single lens.

The concerns of young people in Mumbai, Delhi, Indore, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country may differ because their social, economic and educational environments are different.

He described youth as being at an age when individuals are expected to dream, experiment and work towards turning those dreams into reality.

For that reason, he said, young people should not simply be treated as a subject of political debate. Continuous communication with them is equally important.

If that communication weakens, he warned, the energy of a large young population could potentially become confused or directionless.

AI Has Changed the Journalism Challenge

According to Kashyap, journalism has continuously adapted to technological and structural changes.

The growth of district editions and localised newspaper pages once expanded the reach of regional journalism. Social media subsequently transformed the speed at which information could circulate.

Artificial intelligence, he said, has taken the challenge to another level.

AI can generate enormous volumes of content within a short period. In such an environment, simply being the fastest to publish may no longer provide journalism with a meaningful advantage.

The greater value will lie in verification, context, authenticity and editorial responsibility.

The fundamental question, therefore, is not whether technology can produce information quickly, but whether the information reaching citizens is reliable.

Journalism Must Sell Trust, Not Just Information

Kashyap’s remarks placed public trust at the centre of the future of journalism.

A single incident can now generate multiple versions of information within minutes across social-media platforms. Images, videos, opinions and claims can circulate simultaneously, often before the facts have been established.

For readers and viewers, the challenge becomes increasingly simple but critical:

Which version should I believe?

This is where professional journalism retains a distinct responsibility.

News organisations must provide not only information but also the context needed to understand it, distinguish verified facts from claims and present information with editorial accountability.

In an environment overflowing with content, credibility could become journalism’s most valuable asset.

Why Indore for a Journalism Festival?

Kashyap said an event of this nature was particularly appropriate for Indore, describing Indore and Ujjain as cities with strong traditions of festivals and cultural activity.

He suggested that such platforms provide an opportunity for people associated with journalism to discuss the profession beyond day-to-day news production.

He also referred to the Shiv Ganga campaign as a subject that could be studied from a journalistic perspective.

Remembering veteran Hindi journalist Rajendra Mathur, Kashyap highlighted his contribution to taking Hindi journalism to new levels and underlined the importance of strong editorial traditions.

Losing Contact with Youth Could Have Consequences

Kashyap argued that journalism and public institutions cannot afford to lose contact with younger generations.

If meaningful dialogue with young people disappears, he said, an entire generation could become vulnerable to confusion and misinformation.

Young citizens need access to reliable information about the country’s present circumstances, its challenges and its future opportunities.

Referring to recent developments involving youth-led movements in Nepal and Bangladesh, he noted that organised youth energy can influence political circumstances on a large scale.

For democratic societies, understanding young people and maintaining dialogue with them is therefore not simply a communication strategy—it is an important part of social stability and democratic engagement.

Global Skill Park Expected to Expand Opportunities

Kashyap also outlined government initiatives aimed at strengthening skills and entrepreneurship among young people in Madhya Pradesh.

He said a Global Skill Park is being established in Bhopal, with the objective of creating new opportunities for skill development and employment.

According to him, around 7,500 startups are registered in Madhya Pradesh, while the government has introduced financial support of ₹10,000 per month for new startups during their initial phase.

He noted that innovative ideas are not always immediately accepted by families or society.

In such circumstances, initial government support can give young entrepreneurs the breathing space required to develop an idea, test it and potentially turn it into a sustainable business.

The India of 2047 Must Be More Than Economically Strong

Kashyap stressed that India’s 2047 vision should not be measured only through economic indicators.

A developed India, he said, should also be socially and culturally developed.

That vision requires young people to be prepared for the opportunities of the future through education, skills, entrepreneurship and access to reliable information.

He also observed that political parties still need to improve the quality and depth of their engagement with young people.

The Real AI Challenge: Who Will People Trust?

The larger significance of Kashyap’s remarks lies in the changing economics of information.

AI is unlikely to make journalism irrelevant simply because machines can generate text. Instead, it may force the profession to redefine what makes journalism valuable.

When machines can produce content at scale, social platforms can distribute it within seconds and almost anyone can become a content creator, the journalist’s role increasingly shifts from content production to verification, interpretation and accountability.

In this environment, trust becomes a competitive advantage.

Readers will want to know:

• Is the information verified?
• What is the source?
• What is the context?
• What is fact and what is opinion?
• Who is accountable if the information is wrong?

The organisations capable of answering these questions consistently are likely to retain public confidence.

The Bigger Question: Who Will Shape the Youth Agenda?

The Gen-Z debate also requires a more nuanced understanding.

Young Indians may belong to the same broad generation, but their priorities can differ according to location, economic background, education and access to opportunity.

For one group, employment may be the dominant concern. For another, entrepreneurship, technology, education, local opportunities or social mobility may take precedence.

This means that governments, political parties and media organisations face a challenge that goes beyond simply reaching young people.

They must understand the diversity within India’s youth population.

If India wants to build a genuinely opportunity-driven society by 2047, young people cannot remain merely beneficiaries of government schemes or targets of political campaigns.

They must become active participants in policymaking, entrepreneurship, public debate and social transformation.

And for journalism, the challenge is perhaps even sharper:

As India’s young population changes faster than ever, can the news industry evolve quickly enough to remain relevant—and, more importantly, trustworthy—in their eyes?

(SDNA)