Explained: Why India needs a trained, formal workforce to care for its elderly
India's elderly will more than double by 2050, so who will care for them when families no longer can?
Published 13 October 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
An explainer in The Hindu on 13 October 2026 makes the case for building a trained, formal caregiving workforce as India ages. According to the India Ageing Report 2023 by UNFPA and the International Institute for Population Sciences, India had about 149 million people aged 60 and above in 2022, about 10.5% of the population, and the number is projected to reach 347 million, about 20.8%, by 2050. The piece argues that the shift from joint to nuclear families means care can no longer be left to relatives alone.
Two policy moves frame the debate. The Union Budget 2026-27 announced a plan to train 1.5 lakh caregivers in a year through programmes aligned with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). On 6 August 2026 NITI Aayog released 'Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat@2047', which treats caregiving as an economic activity, not only welfare. It proposes a National Policy on Caregiving and a National Caregiver Council (NCC) as an apex body for regulation, accreditation, certification and a caregiver registry, along with a National Digital Caregiver Portal and NSQF-based certification with specialised cadres for geriatric, palliative and dementia care.
Most care in India is still unpaid and informal. The NITI report notes that about 10% of Indians are family caregivers, mostly untrained, and that according to the 2019 Time Use Survey women spend about 299 minutes a day on unpaid domestic and caregiving work against about 97 minutes for men. It cites estimates that India's care services market will grow from about 29.62 billion US dollars in 2023 to 72.31 billion dollars by 2030. Existing efforts include Kerala's K4Care programme run by Kudumbashree. The explainer argues that a national curriculum should cover geriatric mental health and behaviour management along with physical care, and that formalising care would both create jobs and give caregivers dignity.
Prelims facts
- India Ageing Report 2023: about 149 million people aged 60 and above in 2022 (10.5%), projected to reach 347 million (20.8%) by 2050.
- Union Budget 2026-27 announced training of 1.5 lakh caregivers in a year through NSQF-aligned programmes.
- NITI Aayog's 'Reimagining Care' report (6 August 2026) proposes a National Caregiver Council and a National Policy on Caregiving.
- Time Use Survey 2019: women spend about 299 minutes a day on unpaid domestic and caregiving work, men about 97.
- Kerala's K4Care, run by Kudumbashree, trains women as home-care executives for the elderly, bedridden and persons with disabilities.
Quick recall
- India's elderly (60+) population in 2022 and projected for 2050?
- About 149 million (10.5%) in 2022; 347 million (20.8%) by 2050.
- Who prepared the India Ageing Report 2023?
- UNFPA and the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS).
- Budget 2026-27 target for caregiver training?
- 1.5 lakh caregivers in a year, through NSQF-aligned programmes.
- Title of NITI Aayog's August 2026 caregiving report?
- 'Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat@2047'.
- Apex body proposed by NITI Aayog for caregiving?
- A National Caregiver Council (NCC).
- Time Use Survey 2019: unpaid domestic and care work per day?
- Women about 299 minutes; men about 97 minutes.
- Which Article of the Constitution covers public assistance in old age?
- Article 41 (Directive Principles of State Policy).
- Which organisation runs Kerala's K4Care?
- Kudumbashree, Kerala's State Poverty Eradication Mission.
Prelims practice question
With reference to NITI Aayog's report 'Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat@2047', consider the following statements:
1. It proposes a National Caregiver Council as an apex body for regulation and certification of caregivers.
2. It recommends NSQF-based certification for caregivers.
3. It recommends that caregiving be treated solely as a welfare activity of the State.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. 1 and 2 are correct. 3 is wrong: the report treats caregiving as an economic activity, not merely welfare.
Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions
Recurring theme: Population ageing, the care economy and welfare of vulnerable sections
Critically examine the challenges of demographic transition in contemporary India.
How to use thisUse the ageing projections and caregiving gap to illustrate the old-age dimension of India's demographic transition and the policy response.
- India's 60-plus population is projected to rise from 149 million (2022) to 347 million (20.8%) by 2050 (India Ageing Report 2023).
- About 10% of Indians are family caregivers, mostly untrained; Budget 2026-27 plans to train 1.5 lakh caregivers.
- NITI Aayog (August 2026) proposes a National Caregiver Council and NSQF-certified geriatric, palliative and dementia care cadres.
What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and space?
How to use thisUse time-use data on unpaid care to show how care burdens constrain women's time and mobility, and how formal care can ease them.
- Time Use Survey 2019: women spend about 299 minutes a day on unpaid domestic and caregiving work, men about 97.
- Formal, paid caregiving (NITI Aayog's 2026 proposals, Kerala's K4Care) can shift this burden and create jobs for women.
Ageing links to 'demographic winter', but this story is about India's care workforce rather than global fertility decline.
Mains practice question
With India's elderly population projected to reach 347 million by 2050, examine the need for a formal, trained caregiving workforce and the steps required to build it. (150 words)
Model answer
India's 60-plus population is projected to rise from about 149 million in 2022 to 347 million (20.8%) by 2050 (India Ageing Report 2023), while families shrink and women carry most unpaid care.
Why a formal workforce is needed
- About 10% of Indians are family caregivers, mostly untrained.
- Women spend about 299 minutes a day on unpaid domestic and care work against 97 for men (Time Use Survey 2019), limiting their paid work.
- Dementia, palliative and disability care need skills that families lack.
- The care market is projected to grow from 29.62 billion dollars (2023) to 72.31 billion dollars (2030): a jobs opportunity.
Steps
- Scale the Budget 2026-27 plan to train 1.5 lakh NSQF-aligned caregivers.
- Set up NITI Aayog's proposed National Caregiver Council, registry and digital portal.
- Specialised cadres for geriatric, palliative and dementia care; mental-health modules.
- Social security, fair pay and grievance redress for caregivers.
- Learn from Kerala's K4Care.
Formal care can turn an ageing challenge into dignified employment.
The basics
Why this matters
India is still a young country, but it is ageing fast. As families get smaller and more people migrate for work, the old arrangement in which daughters and daughters-in-law looked after elderly parents at home is under strain. Who provides care, who pays for it and who trains the people who give it are now policy questions. They touch GS1 (population, women), GS2 (welfare of vulnerable sections) and GS3 (employment).
How fast India is ageing
More in India's ageing population.
Who does the caring now
Most care is unpaid, informal and done by women. About 10% of Indians are family caregivers, most of them untrained.
- About 299 minutes a day
- Limits time for paid work and education
- About 97 minutes a day
- Gap reflects gendered division of care
This hidden labour is the core of The care economy.
The policy push
- 2023India Ageing Report projects 347 million elderly by 2050
- February 2026Union Budget 2026-27 plans to train 1.5 lakh caregivers in a year, aligned with NSQF
- 6 August 2026NITI Aayog releases 'Reimagining Care' report
- 13 October 2026The Hindu explainer makes the case for a trained care workforce
What NITI Aayog proposes
- 1National Policy on CaregivingFormalise the sector and coordinate Centre and States
- 2National Caregiver CouncilRegulate, accredit, certify and keep a registry
- 3NSQF-based certificationStandard curricula and specialised cadres for geriatric, palliative and dementia care
- 4National Digital Caregiver PortalCertified directory, background checks and training
The legal base for state support already exists: see Legal and constitutional support for the elderly. States have models to learn from, such as Kerala's K4Care model.
Go deeper
In one line: As India's elderly population heads towards 347 million by 2050, the government and NITI Aayog want caregiving turned into a trained, certified and paid profession.
Why it matters for UPSC
Mains asks about demographic transition (GS1, 2026), women's unpaid work and welfare of vulnerable sections (GS2). Prelims tests reports, schemes and constitutional provisions.
The core idea
India's ageing population is growing fast while families shrink. Today most care is unpaid and done by women, which is the hidden side of The care economy. The Budget 2026-27 plan to train 1.5 lakh caregivers and NITI Aayog's August 2026 report aim to create a skilled, regulated workforce. The State's duty rests on Legal and constitutional support for the elderly, and Kerala's K4Care model shows how training women for home care can work at scale.
Numbers and dates to remember
- Elderly (60+): 149 million in 2022 (10.5%), 347 million by 2050 (20.8%).
- Budget 2026-27: 1.5 lakh caregivers to be trained in a year.
- NITI Aayog report released: 6 August 2026.
- Unpaid domestic and care work: women about 299 minutes a day, men about 97 (TUS 2019).
- Care services market: 29.62 billion dollars (2023) to 72.31 billion dollars (2030), projected.
Where to go next
- India's ageing population: the numbers behind the demand.
- The care economy: why unpaid care is an economic issue.
- Legal and constitutional support for the elderly: Article 41 and the 2007 Act.
- Kerala's K4Care model: a working State example.
Go deeper: family duty or public profession?
The case for formalising care. India's ageing population will more than double by 2050. Smaller families and migration leave many elderly people alone. Untrained relatives struggle with conditions like dementia, and the burden falls mostly on women: the 2019 Time Use Survey found women spend about 299 minutes a day on unpaid domestic and caregiving work against 97 for men. Formal training creates jobs in a fast-growing market (projected to reach 72.31 billion dollars by 2030), raises care quality and frees women to take paid work. NITI Aayog also sees India as a potential supplier of skilled caregivers abroad, through government-to-government mobility partnerships.
The concerns. Paid care costs money that many elderly households cannot afford, so public financing or insurance must follow. A registry and council could add red tape if poorly designed. Formalising care may also undervalue the many family members who will still provide most of it; NITI Aayog therefore suggests care leave, respite care and counselling for family carers. Care work is often low-paid even when formal, so wages and social security matter.
What exists already. The State's obligations rest on Legal and constitutional support for the elderly. The National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly trains health workers and family caregivers. Kerala's K4Care model trains women as care executives across all districts. The explainer argues that any national curriculum should include geriatric mental health and behaviour management.
For answers. Frame care as part of The care economy: an investment in jobs, gender equality and dignity in old age, not just a welfare cost.
India's ageing population
The numbers behind the demand for care.
In one line: India's population aged 60 and above is projected to grow from about 149 million in 2022 to 347 million by 2050.
The data
The India Ageing Report 2023, prepared by UNFPA and the International Institute for Population Sciences, estimated the elderly at about 10.5% of the population in 2022, rising to about 20.8% by 2050. Falling fertility and longer lives drive this demographic transition.
Why it changes care
More elderly people, combined with smaller families and migration of younger members for work, means fewer relatives are available to provide daily care. Long-term conditions that need skilled care become more common as people live longer.
Why it is in the news
The Hindu explainer of 13 October 2026 uses these projections to argue for a trained, formal caregiving workforce.
Where to go next
The care economy
Why unpaid care is an economic issue.
In one line: The care economy covers all paid and unpaid work of looking after children, the elderly, the sick and persons with disabilities.
The hidden part
Most care in India is unpaid and done at home, mainly by women. The 2019 Time Use Survey found women spend about 299 minutes a day on unpaid domestic and caregiving work, against about 97 minutes for men. This work keeps households running but does not show up in GDP, and it limits women's paid employment.
The paid part
NITI Aayog cites estimates that India's care services market will grow from about 29.62 billion US dollars in 2023 to 72.31 billion dollars by 2030. Its August 2026 report argues that caregiving should be treated as an economic activity, not only welfare.
Why it matters
Formalising care can create jobs, improve quality and redistribute the burden that falls on women.
Where to go next
- Kerala's K4Care model
- India's ageing population
Legal and constitutional support for the elderly
Article 41 and the 2007 Act.
In one line: The Constitution directs the State to help the elderly, and a 2007 law makes children and relatives legally responsible for maintaining them.
Article 41
A Directive Principle of State Policy, Article 41 asks the State, within its economic capacity, to make effective provision for public assistance in cases of old age, sickness and disablement, among others. Directive Principles are not enforceable in court but guide policy.
The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007
The Act obliges children and relatives to maintain parents and senior citizens and sets up Maintenance Tribunals where they can claim a monthly allowance. It also asks States to set up old age homes.
Health programmes
The National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly, run by the Health Ministry, provides geriatric care through the public health system and trains family caregivers.
Where to go next
- India's ageing population
- Kerala's K4Care model
Kerala's K4Care model
A working State example of trained home care.
In one line: K4Care is a Kudumbashree programme in Kerala that trains women as care executives to provide home-based care.
What it does
K4Care, described in NITI Aayog's report as a business model for care-economy jobs, provides home care across all districts of Kerala for senior citizens, bedridden patients, persons with disabilities and newborns. Its trained 'K4 Care executives' offer services such as basic nursing, accompanying elderly people to medical check-ups, geriatric counselling, bedside care in hospitals and palliative care.
What Kudumbashree is
Kudumbashree is Kerala's State Poverty Eradication Mission, a large network of women's self-help groups.
Why it matters nationally
It shows how training women for paid care can create livelihoods and meet demand at the same time, a model that the national push for 1.5 lakh trained caregivers can learn from.
Where to go next
Take the 13 October 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers