Primus Partners’ latest report, The Care Economy Boom, is not just a research publication. It is an invitation to start a much-needed conversation on how India understands, values, and plans for care.For decades, care in India has been absorbed within households, largely unpaid and informal. That model is no longer holding. Ageing populations, rising migration, smaller family structures, and growing health needs are driving sustained demand for childcare, eldercare, disability support, rehabilitation, and long-term care. Yet the workforce delivering these essential services remains largely invisible, informal, and outside policy planning.
The report maps India’s care economy as a $300 billion opportunity with the potential to support over 60 million jobs by 2030. A central contribution is the identification of 13 paid care roles, mapped across a skill and formality quadrant. This framework shows how workers currently concentrated in low-wage, informal roles can move into more skilled, stable, and recognised employment through structured skilling, certification, and clear career pathways.
Drawing on perspectives from experts at PHFI, DGHS (Government of NCT of Delhi), ex-ICSSR, and Alliance India, the report outlines the case for mission-led governance, standardised skilling and certification, and regulatory clarity to unlock the sector’s full potential.
The objective is to shift the conversation on care beyond welfare and social support, towards jobs, productivity, and economic infrastructure. We welcome your views and look forward to collaborating with policymakers, industry, and institutions to help shape the future of India’s care economy.