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The opportunity

Why AHA, why now

The case for a collaborative platform is not sentimental — it is demographic, economic and structural. These are the numbers that define the decade ahead, and the gaps a unified voice is built to close.

Jump to the gaps

The opportunity

Dimensions that make the case

Each dimension below pairs what the data says with why it matters for an umbrella organisation working across India’s ageing ecosystem.

01 — Population scale

300 million

By 2047, India will have around 300 million elders — and the largest older population in the world by 2067.

Why it matters for an umbrella organisation

A population of this size cannot be served by isolated efforts. Scale of this order requires shared infrastructure — common evidence, common standards and a common voice.

India’s population aged 60 and above

In millions. Recorded figures for 2001 and 2011; projections thereafter.

70.6
100
173
230
300
  • Recorded
  • Projected
View data table
India’s population aged 60 and above, in millions
YearPopulation (millions)Basis
200170.6Recorded
2011100Recorded
2026173Projected
2036230Projected
2047~300Projected

02 — Growth rate

40.6%

The older adult population is growing at 40.6% per decade through the 2020s, up from roughly 30–35% in prior decades.

Why it matters

An accelerating trend demands proactive, integrated systems now — not systems designed once the transition has already happened.

03 — Projected 2026

173 million

India’s older adult population is set to cross 173 million by 2026, from 70.6 million in 2001.

Why it matters

Immediate scale demands infrastructure now. The organisations that will carry this load need shared capability before the peak arrives, not after.

04 — Current share

11% → 20%+

11% of Indians are 60 or above in 2025. That share will exceed 20% by 2050.

Why it matters

India is transitioning rapidly away from the perception of a “young country”. Healthy ageing must become a mainstream development priority rather than remain a niche social sector issue.

05 — Regional hotspots

Kerala & Tamil Nadu

India’s oldest states. The South and West are the country’s oldest regions, with the highest old-age dependency ratios.

Why it matters

India’s nation-wide response needs to start from the South, where the demographic future has already arrived and models can be tested at scale.

06 — Economic contribution

$68 billion

Older adults contributed $68 billion in labour income in 2023–24 — over 3% of GDP.

Why it matters

There is a need to counter ageism bias and leverage untapped potential. Older adults are already contributors, not only recipients.

07 — GDP opportunity

+1.5%

If older adults who wish to work re-entered the workforce, GDP could rise by 1.5%.

Why it matters

Healthy ageing is an economic dividend, not just a cost — provided health span keeps pace with lifespan.

08 — Caregiving impact

14 billion hrs

Family caregiving accounts for 14 billion hours a year, alongside 2.6 billion hours of community-building.

Why it matters

Undervalued informal care needs recognition and support systems — minimum standards, caregiver capacity building and person-centred models.

09 — Multi-sectoral nature of ageing

Many Perspectives

Healthy ageing spans multiple interconnected perspectives across society:

  • Healthcare
  • Dementia
  • Caregiving
  • Financial security
  • Social inclusion
  • Workforce participation
  • Housing
  • Technology
  • Research

Why it matters

AHA’s role is to bring together People & Community, Government & Policy, and Infrastructure & Institutions — leveraging the strengths of Vayah Vikas, Dementia India Alliance, Longevity India and others. No single organisation spans all of these.

10 — Life expectancy

69.8 / 72.3 yrs

Life expectancy is projected at 69.8 years for men and 72.3 years for women by 2021–25.

Why it matters

Longer lives require a longer health span, not just a longer lifespan. India’s healthy life expectancy stands at 58 years against a life expectancy of 73 — a 15-year gap of ill-health that civil society has barely begun to address.

Health span within life span

Years lived in good health, against total years lived.

  • Years in good health (58)
  • Years in ill-health (15)
View data table
Health span within life span, India
MeasureYears
Healthy life expectancy58
Life expectancy73
Gap15

Sources

  • Longevity: A New Way of Understanding Ageing — Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Ashoka and Dalberg, 2025
  • Economic contribution and caregiving-hours figures are drawn from Dalberg's analysis of LASI Wave 1 (2017–18) and the Time Use Survey (2019), as reported in Longevity: A New Way of Understanding Ageing.
  • United Nations Population Division
  • Subaiya, Lekha and Dhananjay W Bansod (2011). Demographics of Population Ageing in India: Trends and Differentials. BKPAI Working Paper No. 1, UNFPA

The gap → the response

How AHA proposes to address the gaps

Seven structural gaps define the sector today. Each one is the reason a particular part of AHA exists.

  1. Fragmented advocacy with no unified voice for longevity and ageing policy reform

    AHA serves as a collective platform that brings together civil society, researchers, innovators, practitioners and private-sector stakeholders to develop a coordinated voice on healthy ageing and longevity. Through its members and partners, AHA engages with national and state governments to advance evidence-based policy and systems change.

  2. Limited scale-up of proven community care models beyond demonstration sites

    AHA identifies, documents, showcases and promotes successful models developed by member organizations and ecosystem partners. By connecting People & Community, Government & Policy, and Infrastructure & Institutions, AHA helps create pathways for replication, adoption and scale.

  3. No shared data or evidence base on what older adults actually want

    AHA’s data and research mission includes periodic reports on ageing data and building evidence on underserved issues.

  4. Limited integration of research, practice and policy in ageing

    AHA acts as a bridge between research institutions, practitioners, policymakers and innovators. Through its knowledge platform and working groups, it facilitates the translation of evidence into policy, practice and systems improvement.

  5. Limited visibility of longevity science and healthy ageing research in policy and public conversations

    Through collaboration with Longevity India and research partners, AHA promotes awareness of healthy longevity, prevention, ageing science and research findings, helping connect scientific evidence with policy and practice.

  6. Caregiving: unrecognised, unsupported and siloed from other development sectors

    AHA promotes person-centred care models, minimum care standards and caregiver capacity building across health, social and community systems.

  7. Insufficient attention to dementia, cognitive health and caregiving within broader ageing discussions

    With other partners, AHA elevates dementia, cognitive health and caregiving as essential components of healthy ageing and supports their inclusion in policy, advocacy and public discourse.

The transition is already under way

The question is no longer whether India will age, but whether its systems will be ready. That readiness is built together.

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