Media Coverage

The Economic Times

By The Economic Times · 24 September 2026

Experts urge policy makers to recognise senior living as a specialized asset class

As India’s senior population is set to nearly triple by 2050, industry stakeholders say the country needs to build a full longevity ecosystem — not just more age-specific housing — according to a Colliers–Primus Senior Living white paper. The report calls on policy makers to recognise senior living as a specialized real estate asset class, distinct from conventional housing.

India’s 60-plus population stood at nearly 149 million (10.5% of the total population) in 2022 and is projected to reach 347 million (20.8%) by 2050, growing at a CAGR of about 3.0%. With 75 million Indians above 60 living with chronic illnesses today, the white paper argues that minimum operating and disclosure standards, flexibility for land-use conversion, and targeted financial incentives — including linkages with life-insurance frameworks — are needed to support the sector.

“India’s senior living story is moving from necessity to aspiration. Today’s seniors and their families are looking beyond just a home, they want community, dignity and an active, purposeful life,” said Adarsh Narahari, Founder & Managing Director, Primus Senior Living.

According to the report, India’s longevity economy will not be defined by the volume of age-specific housing alone, but by the quality of the operating system around the resident — healthcare access, workforce capability, transparent contracts, measurable service standards and sustained trust.

“As life expectancy rises and healthcare advances, a growing segment of the population is embracing a longer, healthier and more active phase of life. Financially empowered, digitally connected and deeply engaged with the world around them, they are redefining what this stage of life looks like. Their aspirations extend far beyond comfort and care,” said Aakash Ohri, MD & CBO, DLF, which is preparing to launch a luxury senior living project in Gurugram, Sector 63, with an estimated sales potential of around Rs 2,000 crore.

Developers, the report says, are expected to design around services and resident experience from inception — selecting micro-markets for tertiary healthcare access, workforce availability, social infrastructure and catchment depth. The next phase of the sector will need an integrated ecosystem combining residential living, healthcare access, hospitality, wellness, nutrition, recreation, community engagement and care services.

“Senior living in India is at an inflection point similar to what organised retail or co-living saw a decade ago. For investors and developers, the opportunity is significant, but it demands a fundamentally different underwriting approach — one that prioritises micro-market readiness, operating capability and long-term trust over land economics and development margins,” said Digbijay Das, Senior Director, Valuation & Advisory Services, Colliers India.

Value creation in senior living, the report notes, is driven by occupancy stabilisation and trust in service quality rather than development margins — implying longer gestation periods, higher operating intensity, and the need to underwrite platform-level capabilities alongside the real estate itself.

“India’s senior living opportunity is ultimately about redefining what it means to age well. The next generation of seniors will not choose communities simply because they offer care; they will choose them for independence, friendships, wellness, convenience and a better everyday life. That means senior living cannot be approached as conventional real estate with services added later — the operating experience has to influence the location, design and community from day one,” said Arudradev Rao, Founder, Amaya Senior Living.

Rao added that healthcare and safety must be dependable but increasingly invisible, allowing life itself to remain the protagonist — with the industry’s real milestone being when moving into a senior community is seen not as a response to ageing or distress, but as a positive lifestyle choice made well before either becomes a constraint.

Ankur Gupta, JMD, Ashiana Housing, said the sector is moving beyond traditional notions of housing or retirement toward enabling individuals to lead active, independent lives in high-quality homes for the long term, with access to support tailored to their evolving needs. Kirthi Chilukuri, Founder & Managing Director, Stonecraft Group, pointed to cities like Hyderabad, where evolving lifestyles and changing family structures are creating new expectations around senior living.

Rishabh Periwal, Senior Vice President, Pioneer Urban, noted growing NRI investment in the segment given the stronger emotional appeal of supporting ageing parents, while tier-1 hubs like Gurugram anchor premium, service-led communities and tier-2 cities such as Vrindavan, Coimbatore, Dehradun and Varanasi offer scalable opportunities as healthcare infrastructure catches up.