NITI Aayog calls for dedicated policy to regulate India’s caregiving ecosystem

NITI Aayog has called for a dedicated policy framework to support India’s ageing population with focus on regulating the caregiving ecosystem and setting standards for caregiving while extending the social security coverage to caregivers.

In its report “Reimaging Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat @2047,” released on Wednesday, the Aayog has called for promoting financial incentives and entrepreneurship for caregivers to make it scalable and profitable

Projecting India’s ageing population to go up from 149 million in 2022 to 194 million in 2031 and 347 million in 2050, the Aayog has also proposed introducing care leave to empower employees to provide necessary support to dependent parents or persons with chronic illnesses.


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“MSMEs 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,” the Aayog said in 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,” it added.

The report suggests establishing a National Caregiving Council (NCC) to provide institutional leadership and coordination and developing a National Caregiving Qualification Framework to standardise education, training, accreditation, and certification.

It also proposes 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.

It has 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.

The report also recommends promoting technology-enabled caregiving services, encouraging innovation and cross-learning across states, and strengthening international partnerships and overseas placement mechanisms to prepare a globally competitive caregiving workforce.

“Together, these measures seek to build an integrated ecosystem of caregiving services, improve the quality and accessibility of care, empower caregivers through professional recognition and support, and enable India to meet its growing domestic care needs while emerging as a trusted global provider of skilled caregiving professionals in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047,” it added.