Rent-a-grandchild: Businesses offering companions to elderly grow in India

Companies in several Indian cities are offering paid companions to older people, helping with errands, appointments and social activities. The services respond to a rapidly ageing population and to families who may live far away, while raising the prospect of a new form of care for those who can afford it.

One example is Roney Raju, a 26-year-old social-work graduate who accompanies an elderly Gurugram couple whose daughters live in the United States. His employer charges 450 rupees ($5) an hour for 10 hours a month, or 400 rupees ($4.50) an hour for 25 hours; the service is aimed at financially secure urban families. People over 60 accounted for 10.5 percent of India’s population in 2022, and are projected to reach 21 percent, or about 347 million people, by 2050; a 2022 national survey found moderate loneliness among 20.5 percent of middle-aged and older adults.