The Silver Shift

from aspirations without architecture to a functional equitable eldercare system

India’s eldercare has long been held up by aspirations without architecture. Today, over 153 million Indians are over 60, and by 2050, that number will rise to nearly 345 million.

The Silver Shift, a new ZURI Levers special series, under the Caring Futures Lever, charts the move to a functional, inclusive and equitable eldercare system that works for India's ageing millions and their caregivers. Through long form articles, policy briefings, and practical tools, it maps the size, scope, and potential of the Silver Economy while offering actionable pathways for policy, investment, and innovation. 

The Silver Shift, like all ZURI Levers, is not a one time report but an evolving knowledge base (that will grow as we unlock more data, insights, and models), built to inform decisions, spark reform, and reimagine ageing in India with dignity, resilience, and care at its core. 

This series, rooted within theZURI’s effort to facilitate the structural shift & visualise the Care Economy, aims to explore the Silver Economy as both a social necessity and an economic opportunity & imperative.

What to Expect from This Special Series on Eldercare

This special series of the Caring Futures Lever Edition, is a deep dive into India’s Silver Economy and the urgent need to move from aspirations on paper to a functional  inclusive equitable eldercare system capable of meeting the care needs of the fast growing elderly population in India. Over the coming weeks, readers can expect a sequence of long form articles, briefings, and practical tools that together build a living knowledge base on eldercare in India.

The edition begins by mapping the size and scope of the eldercare economy, followed by a review of gaps and opportunities within India’s eldercare policy and governance frameworks, the financing landscape, and the role of gender in shaping both needs and access. We will also bring global perspectives, examining innovative eldercare models from other countries, and conclude with a roadmap that sets out what a functioning, inclusive eldercare system could look like for India by 2035.

Unlike a single report, this series is designed as a rolling resource, available at the Silver Shift Hub continuously updated as new data, policies, and innovations surface. Decision makers, investors, and practitioners will find not just analysis but also actionable insights to inform reform and investment in this rapidly evolving sector.

At its core, this edition argues that the Silver Economy is not simply about ageing, but about how India chooses to design dignity, resilience, and opportunity into the everyday lives of its millions of elders.

First Up

For India, with a short timeframe at hand to adapt to a rapid demographic shift, clarity is more essential than most. Without an agreed eldercare taxonomy, policy remains fragmented, investors lack visibility, and workforce planning becomes guesswork. Without clarity, data is inconsistent, markets are hard to size, and investment flows remain uncertain.

Our opening feature in the Silver Shift Special Series under the Caring Futures Lever, unpacks a structured taxonomy for the eldercare economy, global benchmarks, India-specific adaptations, and the critical gaps and opportunities. The aim? To shift the conversation from scattered initiatives to functional systems that deliver dignity, resilience, and inclusion for ageing populations.

👉 Read the full post: Defining the Eldercare Economy, A Taxonomy

Later in the Silver Shift series

👉 Aug 21 14, 2025 | Financing Eldercare - Who pays, who benefits, and what’s next - we deal with this dimension of eldercare through the 5 part Care Financing series in the Caring Futures Lever. Track new releases on Care Financing here

📍Aug 30, 2025 | Silver Shift Policymakers Matrix - Actionable pathways for India's eldercare ecosystem

📍Sept 23, 2025 | A Gender Lens on Eldercare - Why eldercare cannot be gender blind

📍Nov 4, 2025 | Silver Shift Enterprise & Investor Matrix - Investment & Enterprise Opportunity pathways to shape an equitable eldercare ecosystem

📍Nov 25, 2025 | Global Eldercare Models - Learning from the world, adapting for India

📍Dec 16, 2025 | India’s Eldercare Roadmap 2035 - From fragmented care to inclusive architecture

Stay tuned, engage, and share your perspectives as we shape India’s Silver Economy together

👉 Track new releases on the Silver Shift Knowledge Hub, here

Caring Futures & The Silver Shift are being shaped through the State of Care initiative at the-ZURI. Read this post for more on the State of Care