NEW DELHI: As caregiving emerges as a priority sector in India and globally, there is a need for a national caregiving policy to establish a robust regulatory ecosystem, a NITI Aayog report released on Wednesday said.
To achieve this, the report recommended setting up a National Caregiver Council (NCC) to create a conducive caregiving ecosystem capable of meeting both domestic and global demand for trained caregivers.
The report, titled "Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat @2047," said the NCC would serve as the apex institution responsible for regulating, standardising and professionalising caregiving services across the country.
Among its key functions, the council would regulate and accredit caregiver training programmes nationwide and empanel national, state and private institutions engaged in caregiver training.
The NCC should also establish minimum standards and guidelines for caregiving services and training programmes, while creating a framework for continuous professional development.
It should develop a comprehensive caregiver training curriculum for different skill levels, including both short-term and long-term courses ranging from basic to advanced caregiving skills.
The council's mandate should also include designing language and cultural competency training programmes to equip caregivers with regional Indian and foreign language proficiency required to deliver quality care across diverse settings.
These programmes should facilitate effective communication, cultural adaptation and person-centred care while enhancing the mobility and employability of caregivers across states, Union Territories and international destinations.
The report recommended aligning training programmes with both domestic caregiving needs and the standards of destination countries to expand career opportunities for Indian caregivers.
The report also proposed creating a National Portal for Caregivers and Care Seekers.
It said the NCC should maintain a comprehensive National Caregiver Registry to register, deregister or blacklist caregivers and caregiving service providers or institutions registered under it.
The registry would also function as a digital platform connecting caregivers with care seekers through the proposed national portal. The portal would provide details of empanelled and accredited agencies through which care seekers can access caregiving services.
"With India's rapidly ageing population, changing family structures and expanding global demand for caregiving professionals, there is an urgent need to develop a skilled and professional caregiver workforce that is proportionate to the projected increase in the elderly population. This should be supported by standardised training, certification, quality assurance mechanisms and an enabling caregiving ecosystem," the report said.
It added that caregivers need to be integrated as essential contributors to the health and social care system through a formal framework.
"This can be done by clearly defining their role in national policies and legal frameworks. There is also a need to formally recognise caregiving as an allied profession with defined roles, fair wages, job security and career growth opportunities," it said.
The report noted that while several states have launched caregiver training initiatives, their overall scale remains limited. To meet growing demand, these initiatives should be expanded and replicated nationwide.
"With a growing elderly population, changing family structures, rising disability prevalence and increasing long-term care needs, India must strengthen its caregiving ecosystem by moving towards a more organised, professional and coordinated system of care.
"A stronger caregiving ecosystem can improve the quality of life of older persons, people with disabilities and others requiring long-term care, while generating skilled employment, increasing women's economic participation and strengthening health and social care systems," the report said.
According to the India Ageing Report 2023, the number of elderly people aged 60 years and above was estimated at 149 million in July 2022, accounting for around 10.5 per cent of India's population.
This figure is projected to rise to 194 million by 2031 and 347 million by 2050, when older persons are expected to account for 20.8 per cent of the country's population.
"These demographic trends indicate that the demand for long-term care and caregiving services will increase substantially in the coming decades," the report said.
It noted that caregiving in India has traditionally been provided by family members, many of whom lack the skills and training needed to care for elderly people with complex health conditions, particularly those who are bedridden or require palliative care.
However, increasing female labour force participation, urbanisation, migration of younger family members and the gradual shift from joint to nuclear families are reducing the availability of informal family caregivers while increasing demand for formal caregiving services.
The Indian care services market was valued at USD 29.62 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.76 per cent, reaching USD 72.31 billion by 2030.
The report said this growth reflects rising demand for organised and professional caregiving services in the country and highlights a significant opportunity to develop organised care solutions and tap into a largely underserved market.
