The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, successfully organised the One-day National Workshop (through virtual mode) on “Creating a Well-Functioning Care Economy” on 22 May 2026. The Workshop was attended by the representatives from Central Ministries/Departments, State Governments/UT Administrations, domain experts and academia to deliberate upon strengthening care ecosystem in the country.

The Workshop commenced with a welcome address by the Joint Secretary (Senior Citizen), followed by an address by Sh. Sudhansh Pant, Secretary, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, who underscored the need for developing a responsive, inclusive and sustainable care ecosystem for senior citizens.
Shri B. L. Verma, Hon’ble Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment and Shri Ramdas Athawale, Hon’ble Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, also addressed the participants and highlighted the Government’s commitment towards strengthening long-term care systems, caregiver support and inclusive livelihood opportunities.

 

Dr. Virendra Kumar, Hon’ble Minister (Social Justice and Empowerment) launched the JEEVAN (Joint Elderly Empowerment & Virtual Assistance Network) Mobile App to facilitate access to welfare services, information and support mechanisms for senior citizens and SHATAYU (Senior Holistic-care Assistance and Training for Your Utility) Dashboard to serve as a centralized digital platform for information relating to trained geriatric caregivers across the country.

Dr. Virendra Kumar, Hon’ble Minister (SJ&E) first administered the pledge for Senior Citizen Welfare followed by the pledge on Nasha Mukt Bharat.

In his address, Dr. Virendra Kumar, Hon’ble Minister (SJ&E) highlighted the changing social structures, transitioning family ecosystems and the rising need for the caregivers in the country. Hon’ble Minister emphasized that an ecosystem needs to be developed where the Caregivers are trained as well as sensitized to be empathetic.

Dr. Virendra Kumar, Hon’ble Minister (SJ&E) also stated that the development of a robust care ecosystem in the country presents immense opportunities for strengthening women’s empowerment and expanding the export of care services globally. He appreciated the thoughtfully selected themes of the workshop and called upon the participants to engage in meaningful deliberations and propose practical, actionable solutions for achieving the objectives of the Workshop.

Following the inaugural session, participants were divided into four thematic discussion groups for in-depth deliberations on critical aspects of the Care Economy. The four groups chaired by the Senior officers of the Department also included State Governments/UT Administrations, domain experts and academia. These groups  deliberated upon the following themes:

1. Valuing and Monetizing Care Work: From Social Good to Economic Asset
2. Care Economy as a Pathway to Women’s Empowerment and Inclusive Livelihoods
3. Strengthening the Care Workforce: Skills, Standards and Mobility
4. Understanding the Care Economy: Financing the Long-Term Care (LTC)

The participants successfully deliberated on the allocated themes and presented their take aways for the States/ UTs to conduct their internal Workshops.

The initiative marks a significant step towards developing a structured, inclusive and technology-enabled care economy framework in India.

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SM/AJ

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