Indian youths pair up with ‘grandpals’ in Ratan Tata-backed scheme to fight elderly loneliness
- The issue of lonely elderly is likely to get increasingly acute as India’s population growth slows and its number of elderly people grows
- Goodfellows is the brainchild of Shantanu Naidu, who oversees wealthy industrialist Ratan Tata’s personal office and start-up portfolio
With half the nation of 1.4 billion people under the age of 30, India is still primarily a young country. Roughly 10 per cent of the population is over the age of 60. But those favourable demographics are changing fast.
The number of seniors will soar by 41 per cent to hit 194 million by 2031, up from 138 million now, the statistics ministry projected in a just-released report. By 2050, the over-60s will make up nearly 20 per cent of the population.
Cornell University MBA graduate Shantanu Naidu, 30, said he saw during the pandemic how “companionship and conversation were so important” to his elderly neighbours in Mumbai where he lives. It inspired him to found Goodfellows, a service that pairs elderly folk, known as “grandpals”, with university graduates known as “goodfellows”.
Naidu says the company aims to do “everything a grandchild would do for a grandparent”. Goodfellows visit their grandpals on alternate days for a few hours of conversation and companionship. The start-up also organises monthly get-togethers for all clients so they can form new friendships.
“We take them shopping, for outings, walks, to the doctor, watch films, teach them technology, have conversations over tea,” said Naidu. “Our goodfellows are there for it all.”
