New Delhi, Jan 5
India's care economy is expected to grow $300 billion and generate over 60 million jobs by 2030, with targeted investments in skilling, certification, formalisation, and demand creation, according to a report on Monday.
The report by Primus Partners positions care services, currently employing around 36 million workers, as one of India's most under-recognised yet high-potential economic sectors.
It argues that rising demand for childcare, eldercare, disability support, rehabilitation, mental health, wellness, and long-term care is already reshaping India's labour market, yet the sector remains largely outside formal economic planning.
"Women form the backbone of India's care economy, yet much of this work remains informal and unprotected. Formalisation, fair wages and access to social security are essential to recognising care work and building a more equitable care system," said Dr Meenakshi Hembram, Additional Director (HQ) and Head of Office, DGHS, Government of NCT of Delhi.
Unlike capital-intensive industries, care services are labour-intensive, locally delivered, and resilient to automation, offering large-scale employment opportunities across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities, as well as peri-urban and rural regions, said the report based on 13 paid care personas.
"Care is now essential economic infrastructure, yet largely invisible in policy. By mapping 13 care personas, this report shows how formalisation can turn care into a major engine of jobs and growth," said Nilaya Varma, Group CEO, Primus Partners.
The care personas were mapped across a skill and formality quadrant, spanning entry-level roles such as domestic help, elder sitters, and beauty assistants; semi-skilled roles including childcare assistants, rehabilitation aides, senior living staff, and special needs caregivers; and skilled roles such as certified nursing assistants, counsellors, and palliative care workers.
This framework highlights how much of India's care workforce remains trapped in low-wage informality despite performing skilled, economically essential work, and demonstrates how structured skilling and certification pathways can enable progression, income stability, and the dignity of work.
"The care economy is no longer a peripheral social issue; it is emerging as a significant source of employment and economic value. Formalising and upskilling caregivers can unlock productivity gains, improve service quality, and create a sustainable growth pathway for the economy," said Prof. V. K. Malhotra, Chairman, Food Commission of Madhya Pradesh and former Member Secretary, Indian Council of Social Science Research.
- IANS
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