India’s elderly population and the rise of the silver generation

New Delhi, Oct 28: India’s population is getting older, fast. In 2011, the country counted about 100 million people aged 60 or above. By 2036, that number is expected to swell to 230 million, nearly one in every seven Indians as reported in the Press Bureau of India article. The trend marks a profound demographic shift: a youthful nation on the brink of becoming one of the world’s largest “silver societies.”

The pace of ageing, according to PIB article however, is not uniform. Southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, along with Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, already resemble developed nations in their demographic profile. Kerala’s elderly share, 13% in 2011, is projected to reach 23% by 2036, making it the oldest state in the union. In contrast, states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar still have relatively youthful populations but are ageing rapidly. By 2036, Uttar Pradesh’s elderly proportion is expected to climb from 7% to 12%. This uneven greying will create new regional pressures, from health infrastructure to pension systems, stretching public policy in opposite directions.

The Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI), one of the world’s largest studies on ageing, estimates that 12% of India’s population is already elderly, a figure expected to reach 319 million by 2050. Women outnumber men among the old, making up 58% of the elderly population, more than half of whom are widows. For policymakers, that means designing systems that address gendered vulnerabilities such as social isolation, widowhood, and income insecurity. Longer lives, powered by better nutrition and healthcare, are a sign of progress. Yet, they also expose India’s unpreparedness for ageing.

The country’s elderly face five overlapping deficits, economic, social, health, digital, and infrastructural. Many lack pensions or savings, and the cost of medical care continues to outpace incomes. Family structures, once a reliable safety net, are fraying with urbanisation and migration. Public spaces and transport remain largely hostile to frailty; handrails, ramps, and accessible washrooms are rare. Add to this a digital divide, technology that could empower the elderly often excludes them instead, and the challenge becomes generational in scope.

The government’s support

Recognising the scale of the coming shift, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) has emerged as the nodal authority for senior citizens, weaving together an expanding web of schemes that aim to combine welfare, dignity, and independence.

The Atal Pension Yojana (APY), launched in 2015, seeks to provide income security to low-income workers. Its subscriber base has ballooned from 1.5 crore in 2019 to over 8.2 crore in 2025, managing assets worth nearly ₹49,000 crore, reports PIB article. Another flagship initiative, the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY), consolidates welfare schemes, from old-age homes to caregiver training, under a single umbrella. Under the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC), nearly 700 old-age homes operate across 29 states and union territories, offering shelter, food, and care for indigent elders. The Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana distributes assisted-living devices, wheelchairs, hearing aids, walking sticks, to seniors living below the poverty line. For those in distress, a national helpline (14567) called Elderline offers information and emotional support.

A silver economy in the making

Meanwhile, technology has found a modest foothold in the “silver economy.” The Senior Care Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE) and SACRED portals encourage start-ups to develop elderly care solutions and connect seniors to re-employment opportunities. Together, they signal a shift from welfare to empowerment—recognising older citizens as contributors, not just dependents. Healthcare remains the backbone of the government’s ageing response. The Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) now offers free treatment worth up to ₹5 lakh a year to senior citizens aged 70 and above, irrespective of income. More than 40 lakh have enrolled so far. Complementing it is the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE), launched in 2010, which provides geriatric wards, physiotherapy units, and telemedicine services across 713 districts.

The legal framework, too, has evolved. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act (2007) and its 2019 amendment legally oblige children to care for their parents, extending the definition of “family” to include in-laws and stepchildren. The amendment also mandated nodal police officers for senior citizens, required hospitals to provide geriatric services, and expanded “maintenance” to cover healthcare and home care—embedding dignity into law.

Digital platforms and devices are reshaping ageing itself. Telemedicine systems like e-Sanjeevani allow home-bound elders to consult doctors remotely. Wearable health monitors, online pharmacies, and smart-home sensors are becoming mainstream, offering safety and independence to seniors—and peace of mind to their families. Yet, these innovations remain accessible mainly to the urban middle class; rural India risks being left behind.

India’s “silver economy,” valued at roughly ₹73,000 crore in 2024, could soon become one of the country’s most dynamic growth sectors. Globally, citizens aged 45–64 are the wealthiest demographic; in India, too, ageing may not only be a social challenge but an economic opportunity. As healthcare, housing, insurance, and digital care services expand, the elderly could drive demand for a new ecosystem of products and jobs.

The government has begun to acknowledge this potential. Programmes such as the Senior Citizens Welfare Fund, which channels unclaimed financial deposits into senior-care schemes, and the Model Guidelines for Retirement Homes (2019), which promote age-friendly urban design, signal an effort to prepare for a future where longevity is the norm.

The social fabric, however, remains the most critical safety net. As families shrink and children migrate, loneliness has become as real a threat as poverty. Initiatives such as NAITIK PATAM—a board game launched in 2025 to teach children respect and empathy for elders—may seem symbolic, but they highlight an essential truth: ageing is not just a policy issue but a moral one. India’s transition to an older society is inevitable; whether it becomes a crisis or an opportunity depends on how the country adapts. Building age-friendly cities, training caregivers, and integrating technology into everyday care are all part of the answer. But so too is rebuilding intergenerational trust—the quiet social contract that binds the young and the old. If India’s demographic dividend once lay in its youth, its next dividend may come from how it treats its age.