With the objective of focussing on the needs of India’s fast-rising elderly population, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will launch tomorrow Senior care Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE) project to select, support and create a “one-stop access” of elderly care products and services by credible start-ups. The initiative will be launched by Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot in the presence of MoS, MSJE, Shri Rattan lal Kataria in New Delhi. Start-ups can apply for being a part of SAGE through a dedicated portal, which will also be launched tomorrow.

The start-ups will be selected on the basis of innovative products and services, which they should be able to provide across sectors such as health, housing, care centres, apart from technological access linked to finances, food and wealth management, and legal guidance. The SAGE portal has been prepared and finalised in record time by Mr. Chandrasekhar Buddha, CEO, NEAT, M/o Education along with Dr. Elengovan, Assistant Innovation Director, M/o Education.

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment will act as a facilitator, enabling the elderly to access the products through these identified start-ups. India’s elderly population is on the rise, and as per surveys, the share of elders, as a percentage of the total population in the country, is expected to increase from around 7.5% in 2001 to almost 12.5% by 2026, and surpass 19.5% by 2050. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to create a more robust elder care ecosystem in India, especially in the post-COVID phase.

The SAGE project is shaped on the recommendations of the empowered expert committee (EEC) report on start-ups for elderly.

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