Primus Partners has released a new report titled The Care Economy Boom: A $300 Billion Opportunity Set to Generate Over 60 Million Care Jobs by 2030, which examines the scale and growth potential of India’s care services sector. The report identifies care services as a major but under-recognised contributor to employment and economic activity, driven by rising demand for childcare, eldercare, disability support, rehabilitation, mental health, wellness, and long-term care.
According to the study, India’s care economy currently employs approximately 36 million workers. With focused investment in skills development, certification, formalisation, and demand creation, the workforce could exceed 60 million by 2030, supporting a sector valued at around $300 billion. The report notes that care services are labour-intensive, locally delivered, and less exposed to automation, making them a significant source of employment across urban, semi-urban, and rural regions.
A key element of the report is the identification of 13 paid care roles mapped across skill and formality levels. These range from entry-level roles such as domestic workers, elder sitters, and beauty assistants; to semi-skilled roles including childcare assistants, rehabilitation aides, senior living staff, and special needs caregivers; and skilled roles such as certified nursing assistants, counsellors, and palliative care professionals. The analysis highlights that a large portion of this workforce operates in informal conditions despite performing essential and skilled work, and outlines how structured training and certification pathways can improve earnings, job stability, and working conditions.
Launching the report, Nilaya Varma, Group CEO, Primus Partners, said that care services should be viewed as core economic infrastructure rather than a peripheral welfare activity. He noted that formalising care roles can support job creation while contributing to sustained economic growth.
Prof Sanjay Zodpey, President, Public Health Foundation of India, emphasised that as healthcare delivery increasingly shifts from hospitals to homes, building a trained and certified care workforce will be critical to improving health outcomes while generating employment.
Highlighting the gender dimensions of the sector, Dr. Meenakshi Hembram, Additional Director (HQ) and Head of Office, DGHS, Government of NCT of Delhi, noted that women make up a large share of India’s care workforce, much of which remains informal and without adequate protection. She stressed the importance of fair wages, formal recognition, and access to social security.
From an economic perspective, Prof VK Malhotra, Chairman, Food Commission of Madhya Pradesh and former Member Secretary, Indian Council of Social Science Research, said the care economy is emerging as a significant source of employment and value creation. He added that formalisation and skills development can improve productivity and service quality while supporting long-term growth.
The report also outlines the NURTURE framework, which calls for coordinated governance, standardised skilling and certification, regulatory clarity, technology-enabled platforms, social protection for care workers, and demand creation through public systems and private sector participation. It notes that upcoming policy cycles provide an opportunity to integrate the care economy into India’s broader employment and growth strategy.
