Photo Source: ANI
‘Punjabi youth sell land, buy SUVs, then look for jobs’: World Bank President Ajay Banga voices concern over Punjab’s future
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, June 23, 2026: World Bank President Ajay Banga has expressed concern over changing trends among Punjab’s youth and the challenges facing the state’s agricultural economy, warning that the sale of ancestral farmland for short-term gains could undermine long-term prosperity and employment opportunities.
Speaking about Punjab, a state once regarded as the backbone of India’s agricultural growth, Banga said the region is now confronting a new set of economic and social challenges. He pointed out that some young people are selling their family-owned agricultural land, enjoying the proceeds for a few years, and then finding themselves searching for employment once the money runs out.
Drawing from his own roots in Punjab, Banga said, “I come from Punjab, which was once India’s agricultural powerhouse. Today, you will find some young people who have sold their land. They remain wealthy for four years, buy SUVs, spend money on cigarettes and alcohol, and then, when the money is exhausted, they begin looking for jobs.”
While clarifying that there is nothing inherently wrong with seeking employment, Banga stressed that such outcomes fall far short of the economic potential that could be achieved through higher agricultural productivity and better opportunities in rural areas.
The World Bank chief linked the issue not merely to land sales but to the broader challenges of rural development, farm productivity and youth aspirations. He argued that if farmers and rural youth are provided with access to modern technology, improved farming practices and stronger institutional support, agriculture can once again become a profitable and sustainable source of income.
Banga emphasized the need for strengthening cooperative institutions and modernising the agricultural sector. “Farmers need cooperatives. They need technology that can provide access to better seeds, better fertilisers and better tools,” he said, adding that subsidies alone cannot address the structural challenges facing agriculture.
According to Banga, improving productivity and creating value-added opportunities in the rural economy can help generate stable employment while reducing the pressure on young people to abandon agriculture altogether.
His remarks come at a time when Punjab is grappling with multiple challenges, including shrinking farm holdings, rising input costs, groundwater depletion and growing migration among rural youth.
Punjab played a historic role in India’s Green Revolution during the 1960s and 1970s, transforming the country’s food production landscape. The state’s success in wheat and paddy cultivation helped strengthen India’s food security and earned it the reputation of being the nation’s agricultural powerhouse.
However, economists and policymakers have increasingly warned that the model that once fuelled Punjab’s prosperity now requires significant reforms to remain sustainable. Experts have advocated crop diversification, technological innovation, stronger farmer cooperatives and greater investment in rural industries to secure the future of Punjab’s economy.
Banga’s remarks have reignited debate over the future of Punjab’s agricultural sector and the need to create long-term opportunities for the state’s youth. His message underscored a broader concern: that sustainable growth will depend not on one-time gains from land sales, but on building a modern, productive and opportunity-driven rural economy.