New Delhi, March 9 -- Plummeting fertility is narrowing the window for India to get rich before it gets old. Many more women need to enter and progress in paid work, according to a new study released by Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India.

The report titled "The Missing Half: Women and India's Growth Challenge" argues that to sustain a growth of around 7 per cent over 25 years, necessary for 'Viksit Bharat' by 2050, overall worker participation in paid work must rise from about 47 per cent to nearly 60 per cent. This can only be achieved with active women's participation in paid work.

It is important to note that at present, India has one of the lowest female labour force participation rates in paid work among G2...