Thaawarchand Gehlot, union minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, on June 4, virtually launched the Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine (SAGE), an initiative and portal for older adults. The portal would act as a “one-stop access” of elderly care products and services by credible startups.
As the SAGE portal has already started accepting applications since June 5, startups can register on the portal. The startups would be selected based on innovative products and services, which they must be capable of providing across sectors like housing, health and care centres, other than technological access associated with finances, legal guidance, food and wealth management.
SAGE aims to involve youth for elderly care through startups and encourage their innovative ideas to take care of older people a national movement than just a government programme.
In the presence of other ministers of the States for Social Justice and Empowerment like Ramdas Athawale and Rattan Lal Kataria at the programme, Mr Gehlot elaborated it is required to keep the elderly happy, healthy, physically and financially stable as the number of older adults is steadily increasing in India.
Hence a Senior Citizen Welfare Fund was initiated in 2016.
SAGE programme and SAGE portal have been launched to help such individuals interested in entrepreneurship and provide services for elderly care, Minister added, addressing the press meet.
Urging older adults to avail the services, Gehlot further said startups would be given up to Rs 1croreon the committee’s recommendation for elderly care. And an allocation of Rs 25 crore has been made for the SAGE project in the FY21-22.
Advocating the Covid crisis in India, Rattan Lal Kataria said it is urgent to create a more robust eldercare ecosystem globally, especially in the post-COVID world. Considering this, the Government has allocated an amount of Rs 100 crore to promote the silver economy.
The Startups picked under the SAGE program would be those that will come up with new innovative products and services to older persons related to health, travel, legal, housing, finance, etc.
Encouraging entrepreneurship in India, Gehlot said that the Government has brought in various schemes for the Welfare of several sections of the society under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. With the spirit of ‘SabkaSaathSabkaVikas and SabkaVishwas’, the Union Government is making action plans for every age group and category.
