More jobs and a better education are priorities for 20-year-old Rushan Kumar, who makes a living selling flowers in India's eastern state of West Bengal. And first-time voters want to choose a government that provides them with just that.
India's general election, which begins on Friday, is the world's largest campaign with more than 18 million people voting for the first time.
Opinion polls predict Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to win a third term, but new voters like Kumar are determined to make their voices heard.
“I will vote for a party that will work on developing education. I will vote for a party that will provide jobs – that will create jobs,” Kumar, a Modi supporter, told Reuters.
Kumar's priorities align with many of his peers. A survey of 1,290 first-time voters in New Delhi by polling firm CSDS-Lokniti found that religious tensions, inflation and job shortages were the top concerns to emerge during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 10-year rule.
Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they would vote for Prime Minister Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), citing pride in building a grand Hindu temple and the government's strong economic growth record.
Despite being the world's fastest growing major economy, India is struggling to create enough jobs for its people. According to a report by the International Labor Organization and the Human Development Institute, young people make up the majority of the country's unemployed workforce.
Akansha Majumdar, a 20-year-old engineering student from West Bengal, said the government needs to eradicate illiteracy and provide job security.
To capitalize on such disillusionment, India's main opposition Congress has promised paid apprenticeships. Prime Minister Modi's party manifesto also focuses on job creation.
Along with jobs and rising costs, community harmony is also a priority for many young voters.
Mohammad Aijaz Ansari, 19, a New Delhi-based laptop repairman, said fighting in the “name of religion” is everywhere and should not happen. He plans to vote for the Congress-allied Aam Aadmi Party (Common People's Party).
In a report released last year, the US State Department expressed concern about India's treatment of Muslims and other religious minorities. Prime Minister Modi denies discrimination against minorities.