India's demographic dividend is turning into a demographic ageing challenge. Examine how formalising the care economy, through initiatives such as SHATAYU, can address both elderly welfare and employment.

India's share of people aged 60 and above is projected to rise from 10.1% (2021) to 20.8% by 2050, and older people will outnumber children by 2046 [1]. As the window for the demographic dividend closes, eldercare can no longer depend only on unpaid family labour. SHATAYU, launched by MoSJE in May 2026 [2], is a step towards a formal, skilled care economy.

Formalisation and elderly welfare

• Specialised care: families can search a district-wise directory for dementia, Alzheimer's, palliative and post-surgical care, either full-time or hourly [3].
• Trust: a profile is listed only after its certificates are reviewed, and callbacks are OTP-verified and followed by ratings [3].
• Easier access: search and callbacks are free [3], which eases the unpaid care burden that falls mostly on women [4].

Formalisation and employment

• Skill recognition: four standard training categories, backed by NISD and NSDC, make caregiving a certified occupation that workers can carry between jobs [3].
• Scale and demand: 30,151 caregivers were listed by November 2026 [3], and ageing will keep demand rising.
• Women's livelihoods: in Kerala, ILO-supported Skills Collectives give domestic workers certified care qualifications [4]. These workers are ready to be onboarded.

Limits of a directory

• Affordability: the platform is free but the care is not. 59% of older women have no personal income [1].
• The job stays informal: hiring happens off the platform, so wages, hours and safety are not recorded [3]. Home-based domestic work remains largely informal and without social security [5].
• Uneven coverage: a national total can hide districts that have few caregivers [3].

Way forward

• Publish caregiver numbers by district and by care type, and send NISD/NSDC training to the gaps first.
• Link listed caregivers to the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008 [5].
• Add a standard written contract (hours, pay, duties) at the callback stage.
• Apply the ILO 5R framework, especially Reward and Represent [4].

SHATAYU solves the problem of finding care by certifying and connecting caregivers. Lasting gains in welfare and employment also need care financing, fair pay and worker protection. If these are added, population ageing can become an opportunity for the care economy, in line with Article 41 (public assistance in old age) and SDG 8 on decent work.