Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 5: India’s care economy could expand by nearly $300 billion and create more than 60 million jobs by 2030 if supported by focused investments in skill development, certification, formalisation and demand creation, according to a new report released on Monday.
The report by Primus Partners identifies care services as one of India’s most undervalued yet high-growth economic sectors. The sector currently employs around 36 million people, but much of this workforce operates outside formal economic systems despite growing demand for services such as childcare, eldercare, disability support, rehabilitation, mental health, wellness and long-term care.
The study notes that demographic shifts, urbanisation and changing family structures are already transforming India’s labour market, with care services playing an increasingly central role. However, it argues that the sector remains largely invisible in policy frameworks and economic planning.
Highlighting the gender dimension of care work, Dr Meenakshi Hembram, additional director (HQ) and Head of Office, DGHS, Government of NCT of Delhi, said women form the backbone of India’s care economy but remain disproportionately affected by informality and lack of protection. She stressed that recognising care work through formalisation, fair wages and access to social security is critical to building a more equitable and sustainable care system.
Unlike capital-intensive industries, care services are labour-intensive, delivered locally and less vulnerable to automation, making them a powerful source of employment across urban, semi-urban and rural India. The report draws on an analysis of 13 paid care personas to illustrate the sector’s diversity and employment potential.
Nilaya Varma, Group ceo of Primus Partners, said care should be viewed as essential economic infrastructure rather than a peripheral social service. He noted that mapping care roles across different skill and formality levels demonstrates how formalisation could transform the sector into a major driver of jobs and economic growth.
The care personas identified in the report range from entry-level roles such as domestic workers, elder sitters and beauty assistants, to semi-skilled positions including childcare assistants, rehabilitation aides, senior living staff and special-needs caregivers, and skilled professionals such as certified nursing assistants, counsellors and palliative care workers.
The analysis shows that a large share of caregivers remain stuck in low-wage, informal employment despite performing work that requires skill and delivers significant economic value. The report argues that structured skilling and certification pathways can help caregivers progress to better-paid, more secure roles while improving service quality.
Prof. V. K. Malhotra, chairman of the Food Commission of Madhya Pradesh and former Member Secretary of the Indian Council of Social Science Research, said the care economy is emerging as a major source of employment and economic value. He added that formalising and upskilling caregivers could unlock productivity gains, raise service standards and provide a sustainable growth pathway for the Indian economy.