Why retiring in India no longer requires living with the kids
Vandana Agarwal, at the age of 54, is already planning for her retirement alongside her husband. Their decision involves placing a deposit on an apartment in a retirement community near New Delhi, where they plan to reside in their 70s. With their only son settled in the United States, the Agarwals felt the need to prepare for their older years independently.
During a visit to Antara Noida, a retirement community, they were impressed by its modern amenities, spacious accommodations, and safety features such as anti-skid floor tiles, call buttons, and access to doctors in case of emergencies. Vandana Agarwal reflects on her decision, noting that she knows her child will not relocate to India, and they wouldn’t feel comfortable in the US if they were to move there.
Indian culture traditionally places significant importance on respecting elders, with multigenerational households being the norm. However, with millions of Indians pursuing careers abroad and sending financial support back to their parents, families like the Agarwals have the means to spend but can no longer rely on their children to provide care in their old age.
This has led to a surge in retirement communities as individuals seek more control over their later years. Meeta Malhotra, a consultant working with companies developing senior-care facilities, explains that people are living longer, and many in their 50s and 60s are now actively making decisions about their future, rather than leaving such choices to their children.
Compared to rapidly aging countries like Japan and the UK, India’s retirement industry is still in its early stages of development, but it is experiencing rapid growth. According to Rahul Vaidya, a senior director at real estate broker Jones Lang LaSalle, many operators in India are “expanding aggressively” in this sector.
Currently, India has approximately 60 upscale retirement communities, a notable increase from 36 in 2020. Anarock Property Consultants in Mumbai predicts that the retirement community market in India will expand at a rate of 10% annually over the next five years.
As India surpasses China to become the most populous country, the percentage of its 1.4 billion-plus residents aged 65 and older is projected to more than double by 2050, reaching 15% of the total population, according to the United Nations. This demographic shift poses a significant challenge to India’s underfunded healthcare system.
India’s social security programs currently provide limited resources for home care and nonmedical support for the elderly, and less than 2% of Indians have private insurance to bridge this gap, as reported by the Association of Senior Living India and other industry groups. The report suggests that the country is “under-prepared for the imminent silver tsunami it faces,” highlighting the need for greater infrastructure and support for its aging population.
Columbia Pacific Group, a Seattle-based company specializing in the construction of retirement communities, initially excluded India when expanding across Asia two decades ago due to the country’s strong tradition of multigenerational families living together. However, with the recent changes in the market and the growing demand for retirement communities in India, Columbia is now investing $24 million in the country. They currently operate 10 retirement communities with over 1,750 units and have five more under construction, primarily in southern India, where birthrates are lower, and levels of education and wealth are higher.
The trend toward retirement communities in India is not without its complexities. A 2007 law was enacted to address the issue of children abandoning or neglecting their parents, making it a punishable offense. Consequently, companies in the business of developing elderly housing are cautious with their marketing strategies.
They aim to avoid the negative connotation associated with terms like “old folks homes” in India, which may imply abandonment. Instead, they focus on promoting “positive aging,” and many operators prefer terms such as “senior living” over “retirement homes” to present a more inclusive and respectful image of their services. Mohit Nirula, the outgoing head of Columbia’s Indian business, emphasized the importance of this approach in the Indian market.
The story of Vikas Attri’s decision to bring his mother from New Delhi to Dubai and eventually place her in an assisted-living home near Delhi highlights the complexities of choosing elder care options in India. Attri hired a full-time nurse to care for his mother in Dubai, but as her Parkinson’s disease progressed, he opted for a facility run by Epoch Elder Care in India, costing around $2,500 per month.
Despite facing criticism from extended family members for his choice, Attri believed that his mother appreciated the round-the-clock care, and he made monthly trips to visit her. Attri’s aunt is now trying to secure a spot in a similar facility due to a lack of children, but there is a long waiting list. Attri’s decision was driven by his mother’s comfort and happiness rather than societal opinions.
Columbia Pacific Group’s project, the Serene Amara, located near Bengaluru’s airport and scheduled to open in 2026, has already sold about a third of its apartments at prices starting at 6.8 million rupees ($82,000). They offer a range of amenities, including a hotel-style lobby, library, game rooms, gym, swimming pool, and a salon.
Safety features like handrails and fall trackers are in place, with an ambulance on-site for emergencies. Bharath Kalyanram and his wife, who have a son working as a musician in the US, deposited for a three-bedroom apartment in the Virtuoso, another Columbia project near Bangalore, in 2021. They were motivated by the desire to downsize from their single-family house and the convenience of worry-free living while they travel. The decision was influenced by the cosmopolitan and liberal outlook of residents in Columbia’s developments.
The residents of these retirement communities emphasize the strong sense of community, security, friendship, and support they experience. Despite meeting only a few months earlier, they describe their relationships as akin to those of old friends. Kalyanram reflects on discussions with his supportive son, who encouraged his parents to prioritize their happiness in their retirement decisions.
