The FICCI West Bengal State Council hosted a seminar in Kolkata on Silver Economy and Healthy Ageing, which brought together important players from the healthcare, senior living, financial services, technology, and related sectors to discuss creating inclusive and sustainable ecosystems for India’s aging population.

Mr. Rajagopal G, Chairman of the Association of Senior Living India (ASLI) and Co-Founder, Director, and CEO of Serene Communities, demanded that senior living and care facilities, which are currently categorized under traditional categories like hospitals or nursing homes, receive more government support through regulatory recognition. In order to scale sustainable solutions for healthy aging in India, it is imperative to raise awareness among consumers and service providers and to strengthen public-private partnerships.

“India’s elderly population is projected to reach nearly 330 million by 2050. Strong senior care ecosystems must be developed as a result of this demographic shift, which offers both opportunities and challenges,” said Ms. Sonali Ghosal, Co-Chair, FICCI West Bengal State Council, and Managing Director, Nightingale Group of Companies, in her welcome speech.

Setting the scene, Mr. Aninda Das, Vice President of Infinity Group, pointed out that the silver economy is a multifaceted growth opportunity that encompasses real estate, healthcare, technology, financial services, and more.

The inaugural session was followed by two panel discussions on ‘Evolving Geriatric Care –Institutional Frameworks, Care Models & Community Linkages’ and ‘Bridging Gaps through Technology, Services & Partnerships’.

The panels featured a diverse set of experts from healthcare, senior living, technology, and service sectors, including Dr. Reema Nadig, Co-Founder & COO, KITES Senior Care, and Dr. Dhires Kr. Chowdhury, Founder, Banchbo Healing Touch Foundation, Dr. Prof Arunansu Talukdar, Head, Geriatric Medicine Department, Medical College, Kolkata, Geriatric Society of India, Ms. Nilanjana Maulik, Secretary General, Alzheimer’s & Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI), Kolkata Chapter, Mr. Prateep Sen, Founder & Co-CEO, Tribeca, Ms. Suparna Sengupta, Associate Director, HP Ghosh Hospital, Mr. Jaison Jose, Co-founder & Whole time Director, Xelpmoc Design & Tech, Mr. Manoj Maity, Founder, Managing Director, Maity’s, Dr. Esha Chakravarty, R&D Scientist, Lonza Biologics & Visiting Faculty, Calcutta Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Mr. Suresh Kumar, Secretary (Pension & Group Scheme Marketing), Eastern Zone, LIC, Mr. Mihir Kanti Goswami, Product Manager, LIC, and Ms. Poulomi Bhattacharjee, Amway.

To promote cross-sector cooperation and advance practical initiatives in this developing field, FICCI West Bengal will establish a sub-group on the silver economy.

Over 120 stakeholders, including healthcare facilities, geriatricians, preventive care specialists, senior living developers, assisted living operators, and home healthcare providers, participated in the event. Jagriti Dham (Infinity Infotech Group), KITES Senior Care & Serene Communities (Lifebridge Senior Care), LIC, Amway India, HP Ghosh Hospital, Maity’s, Xelpmoc Design & Tech, and Nightingale Group of Companies provided support for the session.

Priyanka Dutta