The Silver Shift - From fragmented care to functional eldercare systems

Aspirations without architecture

India is ageing faster than it is prepared for.

Today, more than 153 million Indians are over the age of 60. By 2050, that number will rise to nearly 345 million. Yet eldercare in India continues to be shaped by good intentions rather than system design.

We have aspirations, policies, schemes, and pilot programmes.

What we lack is a eldercare system architecture.

The Silver Shift was created to confront this gap.

At its core, this initiative recognises that eldercare is not just a social concern. It is an economic, fiscal, labour, and governance issue, one that will increasingly shape household resilience, workforce participation, public spending, and market development.

The Silver Shift is RIINE’s India-focused flagship initiative on the eldercare economy. It aims to help shape a functional, inclusive, and equitable eldercare system that works for India’s ageing population and the caregivers who support them. This is not a one-time report. It is an evolving evidence, actionable insight and knowledge base.

Through long-form articles, policy briefings, and practical tools, the initiative maps the size and structure of the silver economy, surfaces systemic gaps, and outlines pathways for reform and investment. As new data, policies, and innovations emerge, the Silver Shift will grow, informing decisions rather than closing conversations.

The Silver Shift is grounded in RIINE’s broader effort to visualise and strengthen the care economy, especially in the wake of climate induced stress, especially in the urban context. It treats the silver economy as both a social necessity and an economic imperative, critical to dignity, resilience, and opportunity in an ageing society.

What to expect from the Silver Shift

The initiative opens with a rolling series under the Caring Futures Spotlight, beginning with a deep dive into the structure of India’s eldercare economy and the urgent need to move beyond fragmented initiatives.

Over the coming months, the initiative will examine the following:

• eldercare policy and governance gaps,

• financing models and who ultimately pays,

• the role of gender in shaping care demand and access,

• enterprise and investment pathways,

• global eldercare models and lessons for India,

• and a forward-looking roadmap for India’s eldercare system by 2035.

Each component is designed to add clarity, building a living body of work that decision-makers, investors, and practitioners can use to inform their decisions and actions.

First up

The opening feature introduces a structured taxonomy for India’s eldercare economy, a critical first step. Without agreed definitions, data remains inconsistent, markets are hard to size, workforce planning becomes guesswork, and investment stays uncertain.

The goal is simple:to shift the conversation from scattered initiatives to functional systems that deliver dignity, resilience, and inclusion at scale.

Read the Caring Futures Spotlight on Defining Eldercare Economy - Why India's Silver Shift demands a Taxonomy

The Silver Shift is ultimately about choice. How India chooses to design ageing will shape not just the lives of its elders, but the resilience and equity of its cities, families, and economy.

This initiative is an invitation to design that future with intention.

Stay tuned, engage, and track new updates on the Silver Shift as we shape India’s Silver Economy together