A paid conversation service for the elderly living alone has appeared in India

A paid conversation service for lonely elderly people launched in India

A paid service that finds companions and conversational partners for the elderly has begun operating in India.

According to UN forecasts, between 2020 and 2050, the number of people aged over 60 worldwide will double, reaching 2.1 billion. In India, the elderly are expected to account for 21 percent of the population, meaning one in every five people.

As extended families in India shrink and young people begin living far from their parents, many elderly people are left alone. Meanwhile, opportunities to provide them with social assistance are limited. For this reason, new services aimed at reducing loneliness among the elderly are being created in the country.

For example, an elderly person living alone in Mumbai can hire a companion for 2,500–4,000 rupees ($26–42). They will be provided with a conversational partner to drink tea with, listen to their stories, or go for a walk or to the movies.

However, according to experts, making a profit from such a business is not easy. This is because families usually allocate more money for medical services rather than the mental well-being of their elderly relatives. Despite this, other similar services for the elderly are also being launched in India.

The city government is stepping up measures to support the elderly population. In particular, it is planned to increase the amount of the basic pension.