Indians turn to start-ups to care for ageing parents as families spread out

Indians aged 60 or over by 2050

21 %

By 2050, one in five Indians will be over 60, close to 21 per cent of the population, according to the UN Population Fund.

Senior living units in India

25 000 units available 2 000 000 units wanted, at least

A real estate firm estimates demand for senior living at 2 million to 2.2 million units in India, against about 25,000 available.

What start-ups offer

• Senior living projects
• Home care
• AI and radar health monitoring
• Young companions for visits

Start-ups now sell care mostly to the children of the people they help, from senior housing to health monitoring.

But 78 per cent of India’s elderly have no pension, and a one-bedroom senior-living unit can cost 6 million rupees, so experts say start-ups can’t be the only solution.