New Delhi, Jan 5 (NationPress) India's care economy is projected to expand to $300 billion and create more than 60 million jobs by 2030. This growth is anticipated through focused investments in skilling, certification, formalization, and demand generation, as outlined in a report released on Monday.

The analysis by Primus Partners highlights that care services, which currently employ approximately 36 million individuals, represent one of India's most underappreciated yet highly promising economic sectors.

It points out that the increasing need for childcare, eldercare, disability support, rehabilitation, mental health, wellness, and long-term care is already transforming India's labor market, although the sector remains predominantly outside formal economic strategies.

“Women are pivotal to India's care economy, yet a significant portion of this workforce operates in informal and unprotected conditions. To recognize care work and construct a fairer care system, formalization, fair wages, and access to social security are essential,” stated Dr. Meenakshi Hembram, Additional Director (HQ) and Head of Office, DGHS, Government of NCT of Delhi.

In contrast to capital-heavy industries, care services are labor-intensive, delivered locally, and resilient against automation, providing extensive employment opportunities throughout Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities, as well as peri-urban and rural areas, according to the report that analyzed 13 paid care personas.

“Care has become vital economic infrastructure, yet it remains largely unrecognized in policy. By charting 13 care personas, this report demonstrates how formalizing the sector can transform care into a significant engine for job creation and economic growth,” remarked Nilaya Varma, Group CEO, Primus Partners.

The care personas were categorized across a skill and formality spectrum, including entry-level positions such as domestic helpers, elder sitters, and beauty assistants; semi-skilled roles like childcare assistants, rehabilitation aides, and senior living staff; as well as skilled positions such as certified nursing assistants, counselors, and palliative care workers.

This structure emphasizes that a considerable part of India's care workforce remains ensnared in low-wage informality despite performing essential, skilled work, and illustrates how organized skilling and certification pathways can facilitate career advancement, income stability, and the dignity of work.

“The care economy is no longer a marginal social concern; it is evolving into a vital source of employment and economic value. Formalizing and enhancing the skills of caregivers can unleash productivity increases, elevate service quality, and establish a sustainable growth trajectory for the economy,” said Prof. V. K. Malhotra, Chairman of the Food Commission of Madhya Pradesh and former Member Secretary of the Indian Council of Social Science Research.