Elderly Care is gradually picking up steam in India which is quite evident. Whether it is about Senior Citizen Care Homes or Home Care (Domiciliary Care) the number of investors showing interest and also investing into Elderly Care is definitely a positive sign.

Till a few years back most Care Homes were primarily concentrated in Southern and Western India, however with the growing demand and higher purchasing capacity of elders, the investors are now looking at North and East India also.

North India and tier-II cities were not the most popular retirement destinations in the past however off late the trend seems to be favouring these locations.

Cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Pune may still be the most preferred locations to retire, however places like Gurugram, Noida, Dehradun, Mysuru, Kolkata, Hyderabad etc are now being taken seriously by senior citizens as well as senior living operators.

The larger point of debate is, why is Gurugram becoming a hot spot for Care Homes for the Elderly?

Since there are already 5-6 high end assisted living / high dependency care homes then why are investors still wanting to bet on the crowded market.

In my opinion, people staying and working in Gurugram have high disposable income which is much higher in comparison to other cities of National Capital Region. 

Secondly, the locational advantage of Gurugram by virtue of being closer to Delhi airport adds to the market dynamics. Lastly the well-travelled and aware children want to see their parents in a branded care home rather than the typical old age home.

I feel it’s high time that Haryana Government develops state level guidelines for Elderly Care Homes which is in line with draft policy for Retirement Housing in the State of Haryana under the provisions of Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975 to cater to the ageing population and their specific needs.

As a Nation if we don’t address the residential, health, recreational and social care needs of the booming elderly population, then in the next decade our policy makers will have an uphill task and will probably not be able to create the required infrastructure, policies, standards and guidelines overnight.

Pankaj Mehrotra