Growing reach of 'rent-a-grandchild' services to combat loneliness in Indian cities

Due to the changing social structure and increasing loneliness in India, a new business model of startups providing 'rent-a-grandchild' services is becoming rapidly popular. According to an 'Aaj Tak' report, in a country where family and relationships were considered paramount, these professional services are now being sought to take care of elderly parents left behind due to their children's careers or migration abroad. Citing an Al Jazeera report, it has been stated that many startups have become operational in metro cities, providing young companions to the elderly in exchange for money to offer time, supervision, and emotional support.

One example of this service is that of Sunil Budhiraja, over 80 years old, from Gurugram. Both his daughters are settled in America. When he or his wife go out to the market, they are accompanied by 26-year-old Rony Raju, who is their 'rented grandson'. Rony is not a delivery boy or a domestic help, but a professional social worker. He takes this elderly couple to the hospital, keeps track of their medicines, plays cards with them, and listens to their stories. According to Sunil Budhiraja, he feels very comfortable with Rony from the very first meeting and feels that he can understand them 200 percent.

These types of startups charge on an hourly basis. For example, a fee of 450 rupees per hour is charged for 10 hours of service in a month, or 400 rupees per hour for 25 hours of service. The specialty of this service is that it offers a 'rollover' facility, similar to mobile data. If the fixed hours for the elderly remain unused in a month, they can be added to the next month. Currently, this service is limited mainly to the upper-middle class and financially capable urban families.

Statistics on the growing number of elderly people and their loneliness in the country are worrying. According to the 'India Ageing Report 2023' by the 'United Nations Population Fund' (UNFPA) and IIPS, people over 60 years of age accounted for 10.5 percent of India's total population in 2022. This figure is estimated to rise to 21 percent by the year 2050, which means there will be approximately 34.7 crore elderly people. According to a national survey, 37 percent of people over 60 living alone, or more than one-third, are facing severe or moderate loneliness.

To bridge this emotional void, the elder-care market in India has today turned into an industry worth 7 billion dollars, or approximately 58,000 crore rupees. The potential of this sector can be gauged from the fact that in 2022, veteran industrialist Ratan Tata also invested in a Mumbai-based elder-care startup.

Psychologists believe that hiring a companion is not a sign of family failure, but a practical necessity of modern times. This service has become a real need for the safety, conversation, and dignified life of the elderly. Despite the fees and formalities, this profession is not limited to just a job. The elderly find a shoulder to share their illnesses and lighten their mental burden, where there is no burden of complaints or expectations.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was an international development agency of the United Nations that worked on demographic issues. This organization prepared research and reports on topics like population statistics, aging, and reproductive health at the global level, which were used for policy making.