India's elderly population is projected to reach 23 crore by 2036, and the government's Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) is the flagship scheme designed to meet this demographic challenge — combining institutional homes, mobile healthcare, assistive devices, and a growing geriatric care workforce into a single integrated framework. An official factsheet released on Tuesday, 27 October 2026 detailed the scheme's current reach, funding, and latest digital additions.

Funding and Institutional Reach

The government disbursed ₹77.98 crore as grant-in-aid to 755 projects under the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC) component of AVYAY for the quarter ending 30 September 2026 during financial year 2026–27. IPSrC serves as the primary implementation arm of the scheme, channelling funds to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Panchayati Raj Institutions, and local bodies.

These grants support the operation of old age homes, continuous care homes, mobile medical units, physiotherapy clinics, and Regional Resource and Training Centres (RRTCs). Currently, 764 senior citizen homes, 13 continuous care homes, 17 mobile medicare units (MMUs), and 3 physiotherapy clinics are being supported under IPSrC. The scheme's present expansion focus is primarily on establishing and maintaining senior citizen homes to ensure shelter for indigent seniors, according to the factsheet.

State-Level Strategy and Capacity Building

The State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC) complements the central framework by providing grants to state and Union Territory governments to train geriatric caregivers, conduct cataract surgery drives, and roll out state-specific welfare initiatives. States can deploy up to 20 per cent of their allocated funds for locally designed programmes, though funding is admissible only for components approved under AVYAY. States are also expected to contribute their own funds to supplement central resources.

RRTCs receive an annual financial support of ₹19.58 lakh each and play a key institutional role in outreach, capacity building, and service delivery at the grassroots level.

Assistive Devices and the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana

A separate standalone central sector scheme — Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) — targets senior citizens with age-related disabilities or infirmity, providing assistive living devices to help restore near-normal bodily function. Cumulatively, the scheme has benefited over 10.45 lakh senior citizens, distributing 55,87,653 assistive living devices through camp mode and walk-in centres of the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) at Pradhan Mantri Divyasha Vayoshri Kendras (PMD-VK).

Digital Tools: JEEVAN App, SHATAYU Dashboard, and Elderline

In May 2026, the government launched the Joint Elderly Empowerment and Virtual Assistance Network (JEEVAN) mobile application and the Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training for Your Utility (SHATAYU) geriatric dashboard. The SHATAYU platform helps senior citizens and families locate trained geriatric caregivers by district and state, supporting India's organised care economy. The dashboard currently lists 30,151 caregivers — 6,817 male and 23,334 female.

The Elderline national helpline for senior citizens, launched in October 2021, provides free information, guidance, and emotional support. It has received over 8.66 lakh actionable calls since inception, reflecting broad demand for accessible support among the elderly.

Supporting the Silver Economy Through SAGE

The government's Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE) initiative provides financial assistance of up to ₹1 crore through equity participation to selected start-ups working on elderly-care solutions, alongside mentoring and market linkages. SAGE is positioned as both a welfare and economic tool, aiming to professionalise and scale India's emerging silver economy. With the elderly demographic set to swell over the next decade, the breadth of AVYAY's current infrastructure will be tested against rapidly rising demand.