In its report ‘Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat @2047’, released on Wednesday, the Aayog called for promoting financial incentives and entrepreneurship for caregivers to make it scalable and profitable.
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Projecting an increase in India’s ageing population to 194 million in 2031 and 347 million in 2050 from 149 million in 2022, it also proposed introduction of care leave to empower employees to provide necessary support to dependent parents or persons with chronic illnesses.
“MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) in the caregiving space may be encouraged to register and access government financial products, such as Mudra Funds. These funding sources can help caregiving businesses scale operations, expand service delivery, and improve infrastructure,” said the report. “Developing niche caregiving services for specific groups, such as dementia care, or end-of-life support and palliative care, following their registration under the Startup India initiative can unlock substantial growth potential in the caregiving sector.”
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The Aayog suggested establishing a National Caregiving Council to provide institutional leadership and coordination and developing a National Caregiving Qualification Framework to standardise education, training, accreditation and certification.It also suggested creating a National Caregiver Registry and digital platform to strengthen workforce planning and service delivery, expanding social security and welfare measures for caregivers, and strengthening support for family and community caregivers. The Aayog called for formally recognising caregivers as part of the unorganised workforce to help them avail social security benefits.
“This will provide legal protections, financial stability, and improved working conditions for caregivers, who play a vital role in the care sector but often face inadequate support,” it said.